The New England Patriots shocked their fan base Friday afternoon when the team decided to move on from former captain and three year starter, Jabrill Peppers. The decision was accompanied by no elaboration from the head coach Mike Vrabel or the front office.
This lead analysts to speculate that perhaps Peppers was another player lost to time on this roster. Saying that, while he may have been a good Patriot, he does not fit the new scheme Vrabel will be employing.
The Patriots are prioritizing a different style of play from their safeties than what former coaches Bill Belichick and Jerod Mayo valued at that position. That’s the short answer as to why starter-turned-backup Jabrill Peppers was released Friday,” ESPN’s Mike Reiss wrote yesterday.
“Could the Patriots have fit Peppers into their plans in more of a niche role? Absolutely. Would Peppers have been OK with that? That’s less clear at this point,” Reiss concluded.
But today the longtime NFL mainstay took to X to defend himself, saying journalists like Reiss have it all wrong.
“Going on 9 years in this league. I’ve had (seven head coaches and six defensive coordinators) lol,” Peppers said. “There is no scheme you can place me in where I won’t find a way to be effective.”
The tweet, that went live around 9 AM this morning, is trending towards one million views in just a few hours. The comment section is flooded with fans asking for Peppers to come play for their favorite team.
The former first round pick certainly provides a valid point, with 85 career starts under his belt there hasn’t been a team he has gone to that he did not produce for.
Peppers’ Nine Year NFL Career
Peppers was a highly touted college football prospect after three years of Big Ten dominince at the University of Michigan. Playing safety, corner, and linebacker the defensive standout also dabbled in offense. He was taking handoffs and running routes while also serving as the full time punt and kick returner.
This earned him a first round selection in the 2017 NFL Draft. He began his career with the Cleveland Browns, becoming a force in Year 2 with 79 tackles, a sack, a pair of forced fumbles, and an interception in 16 games.
Peppers was then sent to the New York Giants as a part of the Odell Beckham Jr., trade. He had two years of similar production there before an injury in the final year of his rookie deal forced him to the sideline.
That is how he got to New England. Originally signing a two year, $9 million deal, he resigned under last year’s coaching staff. The new deal was a longer one, three years worth $24 million total.
He played just six games under the new deal before being released. He has 510 career tackles with six forced fumbles and seven interceptions.
Mike Vrabel Says It Wasn’t A Scheme Issue
Hours after Peppers’ tweet went out, Mike Vrabel finally addressed the media. The full write up is here, but he made sure to answer the one question that was on everyone’s mind.
“No, I don’t think that was certainly not the issue. There’s a lot of reasons,” Vrabel said in response to a question about ‘scheme fit’. “I wouldn’t say that’s — we’re going to try to do what works best for the team. We got a lot of different schemes that we can run in all three phases, special teams, offense and defense. There’s a lot that goes into it. And again, we’re just trying to build toward Sunday here, and that’s our focus. And again, that’s the decision that we had to make. Again, wish the best for Jabrill.”
Released Patriots’ Safety Jabrill Peppers Fights Back In Viral Tweet