The New England Patriots were energized this offseason as they embarked on a new era led by head coach Mike Vrabel. The goal was to restore The Patriot Way, but things came crashing down a bit with an unexpected 20-13 Week 1 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders at home to kick off the 2025 NFL season.
While New England played far from its best football, it sorely missed star cornerback Christian Gonzalez, who is still nursing an injury. Rookie left tackle Will Campbell was also banged up heading into the contest, which did not exactly help Drake Maye and the offense.
More crucial, however, were all of the moving pieces in the secondary, as Raiders quarterback Geno Smith diced up a group that just didn't look like they were on the same page without Gonzalez and recently-released safety Jabrill Peppers.
Craig Woodson was the only safety who had any impact on the game against Las Vegas, so in a way, Patriots fans may have missed Peppers more than they thought they would. Peppers just found a new home, however, and it may be the worst one imaginable.
Former Patriots S Jabrill Peppers signs with Pittsburgh Steelers
On Tuesday, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that Peppers was signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Mike Tomlin and his team always have a strong defense, so it feels a bit worse when the Steelers snag one of your old players.
This destination for Peppers is less-than-ideal, as he landed with an AFC foe. Pittsburgh is likely to be another team that will be competing hard with the Patriots for a Wild Card spot at the end of the season.
But to make matters worse, the Steelers play the Patriots this season, and soon. After a Week 2 AFC East showdown in Miami against the Dolphins, New England will return home to host Peppers and the Steelers in Week 3.
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Having to see Peppers so soon after his sudden departure will surely drum up some high emotions. If he can get acquainted in time and play a significant role for the Steelers, then he will certainly be out for blood in Week 3.
However, Vrabel and Eliot Wolf parted ways with Peppers for a reason, so perhaps they'll have a specific game plan in place to target his weaknesses. These two sides know each other very well, but hopefully, Peppers is so flooded with learning Pittsburgh's playbook that he forgets the intricacies of the Patriots'.
Week 3's matchup just got a lot more exciting, as Peppers will be out to prove the Patriots wrong, and New England will look to exploit him and prove themselves right.