The Pittsburgh Steelers added depth and versatility to their secondary on Tuesday when they agreed to terms with safety Jabrill Peppers, a league source told The Athletic. The veteran defensive back was available as a free agent after the New England Patriots surprisingly cut him at the end of the preseason.
“He’s a football player first, positional player second,” coach Mike Tomlin said. “He’s displayed positional flexibility over the course of his career, at either safety position and run-down nickel. He’s been a capable guy in the special teams space over the course of his career, covering kicks, returning punts.
“He’s just a good, well-rounded football player, so we’re glad to add him to the fold. We’ll see how we divide the labor up as we get into the week.”
Peppers’ eight years of NFL experience and positional flexibility could help him contribute to the Steelers in various roles. In the short term, the most immediate need might be at strong safety after DeShon Elliott injured his knee during the season opener against the New York Jets.
A league source told The Athletic that Elliott’s injury could be categorized as week-to-week and is not considered long-term. However, Tomlin said Elliott is already ruled out for the Week 2 matchup with the Seattle Seahawks. Peppers’ physical playing style would make him a strong candidate to step in as the in-the-box safety.
Even before Elliott’s injury, the Steelers’ safety depth was in question after the trade that sent Minkah Fitzpatrick back to the Miami Dolphins. Alongside Elliott, Jalen Ramsey was playing free safety in the base defense, and Juan Thornhill was playing free safety in the nickel defense. Chuck Clark has also been part of the rotation, playing mostly in the box as a strong safety. During a long season, Peppers could contribute at both safety positions, depending on the need and the package, and create competition on the back end.
Peppers, 29, was a first-round pick of the Cleveland Browns in 2017 after a University of Michigan career in which he lined up all over the field, including at safety, nickel cornerback, linebacker, wide receiver, running back and returner. Tomlin, who has long coveted versatile chess pieces in his secondary, did extensive homework on Peppers when he was entering the draft.
“He was just used in a real unique way at Michigan that really highlighted his talents,” Tomlin said. “Man, I think he was even a two-way player at one point. He played linebacker in some of their bear-structured fronts. He returned kicks. He was just a well-rounded football player in all areas of the game.”
After two seasons with the Browns and three with the New York Giants, Peppers spent the last three seasons with the Patriots, where he was voted a team captain.
In January, a jury found Peppers not guilty of domestic violence, stemming from an October arrest in which a woman alleged that Peppers assaulted her. Peppers denied the allegations. Also in January, Peppers pled guilty to cocaine possession related to that same arrest. He missed seven games last season after being placed on the commissioner’s exempt list due to the arrest.
(Photo: Eric Canha / Imagn Images)
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