Patriots

Patriots reportedly re-sign safety Jabrill Peppers to 2-year contract

Peppers appeared in 17 games last season with New England, recording 60 tackles and recovering one fumble.

By Conor Ryan

March 14, 2023

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The Patriots are reportedly retaining some thump in their secondary unit.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, New England is re-signing safety Jabrill Peppers to a two-year contract. Peppers appeared in 17 games last season with New England, recording 60 tackles (35 solo) and recovering one fumble. 

A former first-round pick, Peppers joined New England on a one-year deal last season after tearing his ACL while with the Giants in 2021.

Signed as a versatile option in the secondary capable of doling out some crushing hits, Peppers’ reps increased as the 2022 season continued.

His physicality made him a dependable option on New England’s special-teams unit, with Peppers’ propensity for bowling over opponents creating lanes for returners like Marcus Jones.

But that hard-hitting style paid off when Peppers was put in the box on defensive snaps. Peppers ended up logging 35.3 percent of New England’s total defensive snaps last season, serving as an equalizer against the run.

“Have you seen the guy? The guy looks like the Incredible Hulk,” Matthew Slater said of Peppers last season. “It’s muscles on top of muscles. Physicality is an understatement when you talk about his game.

“He certainly embraces it and the way he’s able to really roll his hips on contact in short area spaces, whether that’s defensively or in the kicking game, it’s super impressive. So, he brings a level of physicality that few guys his size can bring.”

He may not be an adequate replacement for a secondary stalwart like Devin McCourty (who logged 91.2 percent of New England’s defensive snaps last season). But Peppers adds a much-needed dynamic to a safety corps that also includes Kyle Dugger, and Adrian Phillips.