The New England Patriots‘ defense took a major step back in 2024, and one of the biggest reasons for that was the lack of Jabrill Peppers’ presence in the secondary.
Due to injuries and some off-the-field issues, Peppers played in just six games this past season, logging 40 tackles, an interception and a forced fumble.
That was a far cry from Peppers’ 2023 campaign, when he racked up 78 tackles, a sack, a couple of picks and eight passes defended while registering a brilliant 87.3 overall grade at Pro Football Focus. That ranked fifth among all safeties.
However, due to Peppers’ recent troubles, Ryan McLaughlin of Musket Fire feels that the 29-year-old could represent a potential cut candidate this offseason.
“Peppers had his share of off-the-field issues last season and has another expensive salary, as the safety signed a three-year extension worth $24 million last season,” McLaughlin wrote. “While Peppers had a career year in 2023, he was in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons in 2024. Cutting a member of the defense likely wouldn’t be the best idea, but Peppers could very well be another ‘odd man out’ if the Patriots upgrade the secondary this offseason.”
The Patriots are loaded with cap room heading into free agency, so they would easily be able to replace Peppers if they wanted to. Plus, there are going to be a number of good safeties available on the open market next month.
Peppers, who played his collegiate football at Michigan, was originally selected by the Cleveland Browns with the 25th overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft.
He spent two years with the Browns and then three seasons with the New York Giants before signing with New England in 2022. When he has been on the field, Peppers has been productive, but his time in Foxborough could be running short.
