Pittsburgh Steelers safety Kyle Dugger missed practice on Thursday with a new hand injury. Dugger has stood out in his limited time as a starter for the Steelers, but this injury could force him to miss Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens if he can not practice on Friday.
Dugger has replaced starting strong safety DeShon Elliott, who suffered a severe knee injury in October against the Packers and seems likely to be out for the rest of the season.
If Dugger can not play, it seems likely that either Chuck Clark or Jabrill Peppers will be the starters for the Steelers on Sunday.
Dugger fell out of favor with the new regime in New England one year after signing a four-year extension. The Steelers amended his contract to void after the 2025 season.
He has 69 career starts and has played in 81 games as the dimebacker and strong safety. Dugger, 29, had a pick six against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Dugger is 6-foot-1, 210 pounds and ran a 4.49 40-yard dash coming out of Lenoir-Rhyne in North Carolina back in 2020.
The Steelers will hope to have him back on Friday so he can suit up on Sunday, but they have to be prepared for him to miss the game with the new ailment.