There's no guarantee New England Patriots returning starter Kyle Dugger will trot out with the first-teamer to begin the season. Mike Vrabel confirmed Wednesday that the veteran safety has been relegated to reps with the 2s while recovering from offseason ankle surgery that perhaps has stunted his development against others vying for snaps.

Dugger and Jennings played well into the second-half on Friday, which is unusual for veterans with their stats. The post What Mike Vrabel said about Anfernee Jennings and Kyle Dugger playing so late in preseason games appeared first on Boston.

Head coach Mike Vrabel finally broke his silence on Dugger’s benching during a press conference before New England’s joint practice with the Minnesota Vikings. Vrabel stated that Dugger needs to continue working and progressing.