Patriots Reportedly Sign Safety Jabrill Peppers To One-Year Deal
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Patriots hosted safety Jabrill Peppers for a free agent visit on Monday. It didn't take long for the 26-year-old to reach a deal with New England.
Peppers has reportedly signed a one-year deal with the Patriots, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter and Mike Reiss. He's coming off a torn ACL that he suffered while playing for the New York Giants in 2021, but is expected to be ready for the start of the new season.
Peppers was originally a first-round pick (25th overall) by the Browns in 2017 out of Michigan, but was sent to New York as part of Cleveland's trade package for Odell Beckham Jr in 2019. His best season came in 2020 with the Giants, when Peppers racked up 91 total tackles, 11 passes defensed, an interception and a forced fumble.
He's a versatile defensive back that should help bolster New England's depth chart in the secondary, which lost J.C. Jackson to free agency this offseason. He'll join Devin McCourty, Adrian Phillips, and Kyle Dugger at safety, giving Bill Belichick plenty of options if he wants to throw out a three-safety package.
Peppers also has experience as a kick returning, with 83 punt returns and 34 kickoff returns over his five-year career.
Signing with New England will reunite Peppers with former Giants head coach Joe Judge, who is now an offensive coach with the Patriots. Injuries are the biggest concern with Peppers, who missed 11 games in 2019 with a fractured tailbone before the torn ACL in 2021 limited him to just six games.