In late July, Patriots safety Kyle Dugger said he would “love” to continue playing in New England.

Dugger, 27, is entering a contract year as one of the best players on the team. At the start of training camp, Patriots director of player personnel Matt Groh made it known the front office annually engages with players in the last years of their contracts about extending.

As far as how talks have progressed with Dugger’s camp, there appears to be little progress. Or if there has been, Dugger hasn’t heard about it.

“I don’t really have a timeline on (negotiations),” he told the Herald in the locker room Wednesday. “I’m just trying to focus. We got a game on Sunday. So I’m just thinking about that and let my agent kind of handle everything. So (that’s) their business, and I’ve gotta handle my business.”

The Patriots extended core players days before their season opener in 2018, with then starting right guard Shaq Mason, and 2019 with cornerback Jonathan Jones. Dugger is one of several veterans in a contract year, including fellow 2020 draft picks Josh Uche and Mike Onwenu, wide receiver Kendrick Bourne and tight end Hunter Henry. The Patriots have not approached Bourne about extending, per sources, while Uche said this summer his agency has heard from the team.

Following Dugger’s comments Wednesday, it sounds like he won’t know until the very end of the process if he has a long-term home in New England.

“I haven’t really heard a lot. So I mean, I kind of asked (for) that, you know. I asked my agent to just let me focus on the season,” Dugger told the Herald. “So I may be wrong, but I haven’t really gotten into it.”

Last season, Dugger broke out with 78 tackles, three interceptions, including two returned for touchdowns, a forced fumble and one sack.

The Pats will kick off their 2023 campaign Sunday against the Eagles at 4:25 p.m. in Gillette Stadium.