Jabrill Peppers is no longer a Patriots captain after "mutual decision" with Jerod Mayo
FOXBORO --Jabrill Peppers was back to playing football for the New England Patriots on Sunday. But the hard-hitting safety is no longer a team captain following his October arrest for a domestic dispute.
Peppers played in his first game since Week 4 and was on the field for all 62 defensive snaps for the Patriots in Sunday's 25-24 loss to the Indianapolis Colts at Gillette Stadium. He led the New England defense with nine tackles.
"It felt pretty good," Peppers said after the loss. "I surprised myself."
"Mutual Decision" to strip Jabrill Peppers of his captaincy
Peppers no longer had the captain's "C" patch on his jersey on Sunday, which was noticeable as soon as he took the field for warmups.
"That was a mutual decision between me and [head coach Jerod] Mayo," Peppers said in the locker room. "I'm just going to leave it at that."
Peppers was voted one of the six team captains by his Patriots teammates ahead of the season. It was his first time earning the honor in New England, after he was a two-time special teams captain with the New York Giants in 2020 and 2021.
Mayo was asked if Peppers would remain a captain after the safety returned to practice last week, but didn't shed any light into the matter.
"We'll keep that conversation in the house," said Mayo.
Jabrill Peppers arrest
Peppers was arrested on the morning of October 5 following an altercation with a woman at his Braintree apartment. The woman told police that Peppers hit her, choked her, and pushed her down the stairs.
The 29-year-old Peppers was charged with assault and battery on an intimate partner, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, strangulation, and possession of a Class B drug. He pleaded not guilty to those charges and has a trial date set for Jan. 22.
Peppers spent eight weeks on the Commissioner's Exempt list following his arrest, but was removed last Monday and returned to practice for New England on Tuesday.
