With any new coaching staff, there are bound to be big roster decisions made that will be deemed questionable in one way or another. That was expected with the Patriots after five rough years of mediocrity, and Mike Vrabel made it clear he was ready and willing to do whatever he felt was necessary to make the team better.
He made quite a statement early in his tenure by moving on from nearly every tenured Patriot that had previously been a captain, ridding the roster of any player who had been on the team during the tail end of the dynasty years. He continued that by shockingly releasing others who initially made the roster, with the most unpredictable being safety Jabrill Peppers.
Because Kyle Dugger had noticeably been demoted throughout the offseason, it seemed clear that Peppers was the go-to starter of the group. He appeared to have locked up a spot on the roster during the preseason, only to be cut and eventually signed by the Steelers, who the Patriots lost to in Week 3.
Vrabel suggested the move was made because Peppers wasn't considered a fit with what they were trying to build the defense to be, but his performance since joining Pittsburgh continues to make it look like a regrettable move by the first-year head coach.
Jabrill Peppers continues to prove he's a top safety in the league in post-Patriots career
From the time he was signed during the 2022 offseason, Peppers ascended into one of the Patriots' best free agency signings in recent memory. He helped create a dominant secondary after losing some key contributors in the years before, and was a vocal leader in the locker room that the team desperately needed.
That was partially what made his release all the more questionable, even if Vrabel felt, at the time, that it was the right move.
Based on how he continues to be a top player at the position, earning high grades from PFF so far this season, it appears that this could be added to the list of mistakes Vrabel has made during his Patriots tenure.
Sorry, he didn't fit in, why? 🙄🙄 pic.twitter.com/IZUuU0d3LG
— Michael Rodnick (@MJRodnick) October 1, 2025
The team is fortunate to have productive players still on the team to help make up for the loss of Peppers, but none have been as significant a contributor as Peppers has been for the Steelers.
We've seen some good play from players like Jaylinn Hawkins, who has already recorded an interception, a sack, and 20 combined tackles, and Dell Pettus, whose solid performances won't show up on the stat sheet, but none can compare to what Peppers has done so far this season.
Perhaps he wasn't a good fit with what the Patriots' defense is trying to become, but it's difficult to support moving on from a productive player who can excel regardless of the demands or defensive scheme. And now, Vrabel will have to watch the veteran thrive elsewhere and come to peace with the fact that he chose to move on from him apparently too soon.