It would appear that Mike Vrabel and the New England Patriots saved their biggest surprise of cutdown week for last.
In a week full of roster tinkering, headlined by the release of veteran wide receiver Kendrick Bourne (and a he-said, she-said kind of breakdown between the sides following the transaction), the Patriots cut another stalwart from their roster on Friday with the release of safety Jabrill Peppers.
Word of the split between Peppers and the Patriots was first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who noted that Peppers still has over $4 million in guaranteed money remaining on his contract for the 2025 season.
Set to enter his fourth season with New England, the 29-year-old Peppers was coming off a 2024 campaign that featured 40 tackles, two passes defended, and one interception in six games for New England. Peppers, who was a captain at the start of last season, also dealt with legal troubles last year stemming from an arrest and subequent assault and battery and drug possession charges during a domestic dispute in October. Peppers later returned to the team in late November and appeared in two games before being formally acquitted in January, though he was stripped of his role as a team captain upon his return to action.
It’s unclear if this release has to do with anything behind the scenes, but it is worth mentioning that Peppers did play in New England’s preseason finale (not a promising sign for a veteran player and former team captain), and that there had been some questions about his fit in the Vrabel system after spending the previous three years playing under Bill Belichick and Jerod Mayo.
Overall, Peppers appeared in 38 games as a Patriot, and totaled 178 tackles with three interceptions, 10 passes defended, and one sack.
With Peppers gone, though, the Patriots remain thin at the safety position, with
Kyle Dugger, Jaylinn Hawkins, Craig Woodson, Dell Pettus, and special teams ace Brenden Schooler the remaining safety options on the roster.
The Patriots will begin their 2025 season with a home game against Geno Smith and the Raiders on Sept. 7.
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