The New England Patriots have locked in one of their best players.
Following months of speculation and back and forth, they’ve finally reached an agreement on a contract extension for Kyle Dugger.
According to NFL Network insider Mike Garafolo (via Ari Meirov), the star safety will sign a four-year extension worth a whopping $58 million.
Just in: The #Patriots and S Kyle Dugger have reached agreement on a 4-year extension worth $58M to keep him in New England, per @MikeGarafolo. Dugger was transition tagged earlier this offseason. pic.twitter.com/bfLj01UxG0
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) April 7, 2024
The Pats had previously placed a transition tag worth $13.8 million on him.
Now, this deal will give him $32.5 million in guaranteed money, and he could get as much as $66 million with incentives.
Unsurprisingly, the fans had plenty to say about this on social media.
This is a good news
— Mr Kings (@chukwu8376) April 7, 2024
Huge LFG
— Proxi (@TBEProxi) April 7, 2024
Big $$$
— Nemo (@Neemdaddy13) April 7, 2024
A second-round pick back in 2020, it didn’t take long before Dugger established himself as a mainstay on Bill Belichick’s team, logging 64 tackles as a rookie.
Then, he took a big leap with four interceptions in 2021, helping anchor the league’s second-best scoring defense.
He shined in 2022 with two pick-sixes and one fumble return, scoring three defensive touchdowns.
Then, despite the Patriots’ struggles in 2023, he still logged 109 tackles and started all 17 games.
This is why it’s far from a surprise to see new head coach Jerod Mayo looking forward to keeping him around, especially given his age and level of production.
Needless to say, the defense isn’t exactly the most prominent issue in Foxborough, and they still need to address plenty of areas.
Even so, it only made sense that they looked to lock in one of their defensive anchors for years to come.
The Patriots might not be very competitive in 2024, but their defense could still help them play spoiler against some Super Bowl contenders.
The post Fans React To Today’s Kyle Dugger News appeared first on The Cold Wire.