PITTSBURGH --Jabrill Peppers had many teams calling his phone after the New England Patriots surprisingly released him last week. However, when the Pittsburgh Steelers called, the decision was not hard for Peppers.
Peppers says he always wanted to play for Mike Tomlin, which was the motivating factor for him to pick up the phone and sign the contract with the Steelers.
“It’s certainly a great place, it’s always been a great defense here. Always been great continuity at the head coaching position. Great tradition. So it was a no brainer for me,” Peppers said.
A leader in the secondary for the team, head coach Mike Vrabel wanted a shakeup. Now, Peppers joins the Steelers and could start right away if necessary. So, what went wrong in New England? Peppers is not exactly sure, but he understands attrition in the NFL.
“It just is what it is. Sometimes, you know, they’re not good enough. You play a long time in this league, you’re going to get traded or cut. So, you know, it is what it is. I’m happy Tomlin made the call.You know, he was a coach I definitely said I wanted to play for before I retired. And it just happened a lot sooner than I thought. I’m happy to be here,” Peppers said.
So, what is his role going to be and why were the Steelers drawn to him? Tomlin liked Peppers’ versatility, and believes he can play all over the field and on special teams.
“We’ll be signing Jabrill [Peppers] today and get him up to speed about what we’ll ask him to do. Highly familiar with him, not only with the Cleveland Browns but he was highly scouted coming out of Michigan.‚” Tomlin said. “He’s a football player first, position player second. He’s displayed position flexibility over the course of his career at either safety position, run-down nickel, and he’s been a guy who is a capable special teamer, covering kicks, returning punts, he’s just a good, well-rounded football player.”
Peppers was the first-round pick for the Cleveland Browns in the 2017 NFL Draft, but only spent two seasons with the team being before moved to the New York Giants. After three seasons with the Giants, he spent the last three years with the Patriots.
Peppers, 29, will turn 30 in October, but is coming off a shortened 2024 season. He played in just six games for the Patriots, nothing 40 tackles, one forced fumble, and one interception. He has seven career picks.
2023 was Peppers’ career-best season, playing in 15 games and having two interceptions and 78 tackles. He has dealt with some injuries over his career.
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