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t’s been suggested there’s a mutiny brewing within the locker room of the New England Patriots, but Jabrill Peppers is having none of it. The veteran safety went on the record to refute the idea players are rebelling against first-year head coach Jerod Mayo and his decision to leave rookie quarterback Drake Maye on the bench.
Peppers spoke out after MassLive.com’s Karen Guregian followed up on the initial reports of unrest in the locker room. Guregian asked a few players, some who chose to remain anonymous, but Peppers “asked to go on the record when the question was posed.”
Addressing Mayo’s control over the team, Peppers was emphatic: “He has the locker room. That’s never going to be an issue around here.”
When pressed about why Mayo still has the faith of his players, Peppers made it clear, “He’s a great coach. He knows what he’s talking about. He’s played not only here, but in the league, and made it to the highest level. He listens. He’s a playful guy, but when it’s time work, it’s time to work, you know what I mean? We love playing for former players who understand it from your perspective and now, his new perspective as a coach, and how to go about things.”
That’s a timely vote of confidence for an inexperienced sideline general whose team has lost three games in a row. Peppers’ words are also one of many rebuttals of the report about a mutiny.
Patriots ‘Mutiny’ Report Rebuffed
The notion of a mutiny being afoot came from Patriots.com reporter Evan Lazar. He spoke with 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Alex Barth on the “Catch-22 Podcast” (h/t Kleaver Sports).
Lazar described the ugly aftermath of the Pats losing 30-13 to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 4. He explained the Patriots are “teetering on mutiny in that locker room.”
The source of the growing discontent is Mayo’s decision to stick with veteran Jacoby Brissett as his QB1 ahead of Maye: “they drafted Drake Maye third overall, and at what point in time do some of these guys say to themselves, ‘why am I going out and there and getting my butt kicked every single Sunday and Drake can’t. Why am I going out there with a quarterback who can’t get me the football when we have the Ferrari back in the garage that can get me the football?”
Those are bold sentiments, but Lazar’s co-host felt the words were maybe too strong. Barth told Scott Zolak and Marc Bertrand on “Zolak & Bertrand” for 98.5 The Sports Hub (h/t Tyler Milliken) “I wouldn’t have used the word mutiny. Look, I wasn’t in the locker room in San Francisco. I wasn’t there. He was. I wouldn’t use the word mutiny.”
Barth’s more measured take supports the words of other veterans who spoke with Guregian. The latter revealed, “When MassLive asked one trusted defensive veteran if Mayo had already lost the room – presenting the question as true or false – he quickly responded: “Way false.” He shook his head, saying that was the farthest thing from the truth. A veteran on the offensive side of the ball was just as definitive, and a little more descriptive: “That’s bull (expletive)!”
For his part, Lazar told 98.5 The Sports Hub host Joe Murray, “I’ll fully admit I got a little carried away today on the podcast. I’m sure you’ve been there yourself Joe, you know, just in the heat of the moment. The word I used, ‘mutiny,’ there’s no mutiny in the Patriots’ locker room.”
While Lazar is content to walk back his comments, this whole faux pas underscores the pressure facing Mayo. He’s trying to rebuild a franchise that became stale during the final years of predecessor Bill Belichick’s otherwise decorated tenure.
Dire quarterback play doomed Belichick’s most recent teams, and the Patriots hoped to remedy the problem by drafting Maye. Assisting the development of the potential future of the Patriots is Mayo’s primary responsibility.
So far, it’s proving a difficult task.
Jerod Mayo Needs the Support of Core Leaders Like Jabrill Peppers
Mayo is still only 38 and undergoing a major step up from inside linebackers coach to the top job. It’s a test of his ability to see the big picture and ensure an entire roster stays happy.
Those things take complete focus, something Mayo leaned on when asked about Lazar’s initial comments. Mayo told reporters, “My focus is definitely on the Dolphins 100%. I haven’t heard that, that’s journalism for you. I haven’t heard that…I try not to pay attention to that stuff. You’d have to ask him,” per Barth.
Maintaining his focus isn’t easy when Mayo faces growing questions each week about his decision to choose Brissett over Maye. A decision the coach has doubled down on more than once already this season.
Only wins can deflect attention from the ongoing debate about the Patriots plan at football’s most important position. The ultimate responsibility for wins and losses is Mayo’s, but he can’t do the job alone. He’ll need the support of core leaders like Peppers.
It’s Peppers and the performances of a defense needing to play more as a unit that can help the Pats stem the tide of losing and quiet the noise about Mayo’s choice of quarterbacks, as well as his ability to handle the job.
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