Patriots' Embattled Defender Hid Major Injury

This New England Patriots defender has revealed the reason for his major struggles in 2024.

Dec 15, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; New England Patriots safety Kyle Dugger (23) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

New England Patriots safety Kyle Dugger definitely had a season to forget, as he struggled mightily in coverage and made very few impact plays.

It was beginning to look like Dugger's contract extension was a mistake, but now, we know there was a legitimate reason for his struggles: an injury.

Dugger was believed to have a mild ankle sprain, but he has revealed that it was a much more serious issue than that.

The injury was so severe, as a matter of fact, that Dugger was forced to undergo surgery to repair it earlier this month.

In spite of the fact that he was hobbled, Dugger still feels guilty for his rough campaign.

“I felt like I let the team down. And it was challenging because mentally, I couldn’t check out and recover," Dugger told Andrew Callahan of The Boston Herald. "Guys were still looking to me, and I still needed to watch film and help guys see things and make plays, things that I felt like a good captain, a good leader, would do. And I was struggling because I was dealing with my own frustrations about not being able to play and not understanding why."

Dugger played in 13 games, registering 81 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and four passes defended. He also posted a miserable 34.8 coverage grade over at Pro Football Focus.

But now, at least the 28-year-old knows the reason for it.

"Being told, basically, a sprain was keeping me back," Dugger said. "And I’m just like, this doesn’t make sense.”

Prior to 2024, Dugger was a force in the Patriots' secondary. During the 2023 season, the former second-round pick racked up 109 tackles, 1.5 sacks, a couple of interceptions and seven passes defended.

We'll see if he can return to form in 2025.

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