Among the litany of things that made the Patriots 2024 season an absolute disaster was the arrest of safety Jabrill Peppers and the chargers that came with it. As one of the team's captains and arguably one of the best players on the defense, it was a massive blow to an already disappointing season, and the details surrounding Peppers' arrest only made it worse.
Peppers was initially arrested on charges including strangulation and drug possession, according to police reports. On top of that, more charges included "assault and battery, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, strangulation, and possession of a Class B substance believed to be cocaine."
He was placed on the Commissioner's Exempt List on October 9 and missed seven games during that time. He eventually returned, with Robert Kraft emphasizing that he had served the allotted suspension of sorts, but if he were to be found guilty, he would no longer be on the team.
After declaring his innocence and retaining a lawyer, Peppers chose to go to trial, which took place on January 23 and 24, with the safety taking the stand for several hours. He had already pled guilty to the drug charges and received probation, so the trial was solely focused on the accusations made by his former girlfriend.
The trial lasted two days, and after an hour-long deliberation, the jury found Peppers not guilty of all charges.
Jabrill Peppers' future with the Patriots might not be over
Now that his legal issues are (hopefully) behind him, Peppers can look ahead to returning to the NFL with a clean slate. Although his status with the team is far from certain, mainly due to a new head coach being in town, he has consistently proven beyond a doubt to be a significant part of the defense's success since signing with the team in 2021.
With this off his back, there's a much higher chance of that not changing, as Kraft seemed to imply he would be immediately off the roster if any of the domestic violence charges stuck.
We are yet to hear from the team itself regarding the latest update, but that will be posted when/if it is released.