Patriots
Peppers signed a three-year, $24 million extension with the Patriots in July.
The Patriots’ decision to promote Jerod Mayo to head coach was a popular move within New England’s locker room. It was also a key reason why Jabrill Peppers opted to remain with the team for the foreseeable future.
Peppers credited his strong relationship with Mayo and the new Patriots coach’s leadership style for why he wanted to stay in New England.
“I love Mayo, man. Pretty much, ever since I got here, he’s been a guy to lean on,” the Patriots safety told reporters. “So that was a big determining factor for me.
“I remember last year, I said I hoped we didn’t lose him to anybody else. Just because you could tell when a guy has those head coach qualities, leader of men, can command a room, can control the room, knows how to lead. Different guys require different things. Sometimes you can push this guy a little harder, but you have to attack this guy a different way. I think he does a good job of knowing who, and how, to go about business.”
Peppers has emerged as one of the key players on the Patriots’ defense ever since he joined the team in 2022. He had 60 total tackles and a fumble recovery as he returned from an ACL tear in his first season. He took a jump in 2023, recording 78 total tackles, a sack, a fumble recovery, and two interceptions.
Peppers’s improvement in 2023 made him one of a handful of players that Eliot Wolf re-signed or extended in his first offseason as the Patriots’ executive vice president of player personnel. He signed a three-year deal reportedly worth $24 million that could go up to $30 million with incentives in July.
As Peppers was arguably the best player on the Patriots’ defensive unit last season, the 28-year-old also emerged as one of the leaders and voices in the locker room.
“He really embodies everything that we want on the field, you know, he’s very selfless,” Mayo told reporters on July 26. “He’s out there flying around all the time and it’s good to get that deal done.
“He brings passion, he brings that energy each and every day,” Mayo added. “He’s one of our best communicators on defense along with Dug (Kyle Dugger) and I feel very good about that safety room as a whole.”
While Peppers sang Mayo’s praises, he also made a brief joke about him.
“I just wanted to be here to make him look good,” Peppers jokingly told reporters.
Even though Peppers has arguably played the best football of his career in New England and praised Mayo, it hasn’t been all hunky-dory during his two seasons with the Patriots. Peppers caused a brief bit of controversy last season when he told Saquon Barkley that the Giants were lucky the Patriots weren’t a good team in an expletive manner during a mic’d up segment.
Peppers owned up to his mistake shortly after, giving a lengthy apology in the midst of the Patriots’ 4-13 season in 2023. Now, he’s optimistic that the days of losing are in the past.
“Nobody likes the business of football, so I’m just happy it worked out for both parties, we found some common ground,” Peppers said. “It definitely means a lot. This is where I want to be. I’m comfortable here. Comfortable with the scheme. I love the guys.
“I think we have something good going here right now. So I definitely wanted to be a part of the turnaround for sure.”
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