Somewhat hidden during the New England Patriots’ sloppy, 21-14 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers was the play of a certain veteran safety who fans know well.
Old friend Jabrill Peppers, a former captain for the Patriots during his three years in Foxboro, played a pivotal role in Mike Tomlin’s defensive game plan on Sunday, especially in the run game.
The Patriots’ running backs combined to average just 3.6 yards per carry with three lost fumbles in this one. That led to Drake Maye dropping back to pass 47 times, a bloated number for such a close ball game. The Steelers were able to pin their ears back, rush the passer, and make their presence felt around Maye; both of the young QB’s brutal turnovers came one play after he took a big hit in the offensive backfield.
Peppers was right in the thick of the action for Pittsburgh, playing 46 total snaps. He was the Steelers’ second-best player on defense, according to Pro Football Focus, thanks to his 95.5 grade against the run; he finished the game with five tackles, three run stuffs, and a fumble recovery.
Sunday’s game marked just 23 days since Peppers was surprisingly released by Mike Vrabel and the Patriots prior to Week 1 of the regular season. It was a bold move, considering Peppers’ experience and previous standing as a starting safety.
As fans might expect, Peppers was fired up about his return to Foxboro.
Jabrill Peppers subtly torches New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel post-game
Per Zack Cox of the Boston Herald, Peppers was as surprised as everyone else when his Patriots tenure abruptly ended on Aug. 29. While he took the high road with his post-game comments to the media, Peppers landed a subtle dig on Vrabel and the Patriots’ late decision to move on.
“I was definitely surprised, but it’s the nature of this business. Sometimes you’re not good enough. But I definitely wanted the opportunity to show them that I can still play in this league at a high level, so I think I did a pretty good job of that today.”
Caught up with Jabrill Peppers in the Steelers locker room. He said this win “absolutely” meant more to him.
— Zack Cox (@zm_cox) September 21, 2025
Was he surprised by his Patriots release?
“Yeah, I was. I’m not gonna get into any of the specifics. I don’t want it to be a distraction or turn into a media thing. I…
It’s fair to question the Patriots’ process here, given their struggles in the secondary to start the season. Peppers brought attitude and physicality to that group, and it hasn’t taken long for his downhill style to fit in just fine in Tomlin’s established scheme.
While Peppers got the last laugh, at least for now, he did make it clear, via Cox, that there’s no hard feelings between himself and the Patriots organization.
“I know they’ve got a lot of tough decisions to make when it comes to the roster. They’ve got a lot of great young players over there, got a lot of guys who can really impact the game. I grinded with those guys. I love them, and I miss them, but I love my new home now, too.”
Asked Peppers if there was anything he wanted to share about his perspective on his Patriots exit.
— Zack Cox (@zm_cox) September 21, 2025
Peppers: “Nah, man. I’ve got a lot of love and respect for those guys, man. You can’t mix feelings with business. It is what it is. I know they’ve got a lot of tough decisions to… https://t.co/Vp3F3K0Agr
New England’s decision to move on from Peppers will end up being a blip on the radar. He was never going to make or break Vrabel’s debut season in Foxboro.
But the move remains a curious one, as the Patriots don’t have enough talent on the roster to be cutting starting-caliber, impact players like Peppers.