Nov 2, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers safety Kyle Dugger (29) enters the field before the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Another Steelers DB Suffers Injury Before Ravens Game

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI
By Jack Markowski | Last updated Dec 4, 2025 5:00 PM ET

The Pittsburgh Steelers' secondary, which has seen its fair share of injuries this season, is dealing with another potential issue on that front ahead of a monumental Week 14 clash with the Baltimore ravens.

Safety Kyle Dugger was listed as a non-participant on the Steelers' second injury report of the week with a hand injury.

He was not on the team's initial report of the week, and there's now some concern about his availability for a road contest vs. Baltimore that could ultimately end up deciding the winner of the AFC North amidst a tight race at the top of the division that's seen both the Steelers and Ravens go 6-6 through their first 12 contests of the season.

Dugger's Steelers Tenure

A second-round pick by the New England Patriots out of Lenoir-Rhyne in the 2020 NFL Draft, Dugger never quite fit in after the organization hired Mike Vrabel as its next head coach this past offseason.

Despite the fact that Dugger agreed to a four-year extension worth $58 million with New England ahead of the 2023 campaign, he played just 44 percent of the team's defense snaps when available this year before being sent to Pittsburgh alongside a 2026 seventh-round pick in exchange for a 2026 sixth-rounder ahead of the trade deadline.

The 29-year-old, who has started 69 contests during his NFL career, immediately became a key piece of the Steelers' defense amidst a slew of injuries at the safety position.

Dugger has formed quite the tandem with Jalen Ramsey as the last line of defense for Pittsburgh, logging 23 tackles with a pick-six in 354 snaps across five games thus far.

Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images

How Dugger's Injury Could Impact Pittsburgh

Dugger's status for this weekend's game againt the Ravens won't officially be known until the final injury report is released.

In a world where he either doesn't end up playing or has his snap count limited to some extent, Chuck Clark and Jabrill Peppers would likely step up in his place.

Clark has appeared in 10 games for the Steelers this year and started four of them. Over that span, he's recorded 39 tackles with a forced fumble. He's played exclusively on special teams over the last two weeks, however.

Peppers, who was Dugger's running mate (2022 - 2024) for parts of three seasons in New England, has not seen the field on defense since Week 8.

The Steelers also have undrafted rookie Sebastian Castro on their active roster after reacquiring him off waivers from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in early November, but he too has only appeared on special teams in his three contests back in Pittsburgh thus far.

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