Despite Loss to Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots' Kyle Dugger Proves Value

New England Patriots safety Kyle Dugger is a popular trade candidate due to being in a contract year, but he proved how much he means to the team on Sunday.

With the New England Patriots falling to 2-6 after Sunday's loss to the Miami Dolphins, it's looking more and more likely that they will be sellers at the upcoming trade deadline.

Naturally, the most popular trade candidates are those in the final year of their contracts, even more so with the Patriots being notoriously cautious in re-signing their players. Even though the team is in a down year, those players are still doing everything they can to earn themselves new deals, and one such player, safety Kyle Dugger, made himself quite the case on Sunday.

While the Patriots' defense struggled to contain the Dolphins' prolific offense, Dugger was still all over the field. He started the day with a bang, intercepting a pass by Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to set up a Patriots touchdown and an early lead. Later on, the former second-round pick had another big moment by taking down Tagovailoa for just his second career sack, setting up a key third and long.

Dugger during a previous game against the Dolphins / Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports

When all was said and done, Dugger finished the game with a team-high nine total tackles, plus the aforementioned sack and interception.

Dugger has become a key part of the Patriots' defense since arriving in 2020, and Sunday's performance was clear proof of that. However, his future in New England may be in question now. As previously mentioned, he's in the final year of his rookie deal, and he would fetch a good return for the rebuilding Patriots if they were to move him.

However, Dugger may be worth more to the Patriots than any return he could get them. Even with Belichick being notoriously cautious in contract extensions, a defensive mastermind like him can see clear as day how important Dugger is.

With Tuesday's trade deadline looming, Dugger will be arguably the player to watch in New England.