Immediately upon being hired as the Patriots' next head coach, Mike Vrabel made it clear that he was ready to do what he believed was right to make the roster a more competitive group, and he made some controversial moves in the process.
The most notable of all were releasing or not re-signing seasoned veterans, some of whom were from the dynasty days, which was a clear indication of what he was trying to accomplish moving forward. So it wasn't all that surprising when it was announced veteran safety Jabrill Peppers was released, but only in that regard.
Beyond that, it was shocking, given how crucial he has been for the defense's success since signing with the team in 2022. What made it more bizarre was the timing of his release, as he made the initial 53-man roster, only to be cut a few days later despite seemingly locking up a spot on the team during the preseason.
That wasn't the case, clearly, and instead, Peppers signed with the Steelers and made the Patriots pay for their decision in his Pittsburgh debut.
Mike Vrabel got a firsthand look at a big roster mistake during the Patriots' loss to the Steelers
While questionable roster cuts are part of any team's offseason, the Patriots chose to get rid of every captain from last season, and some are already looking regretful, the most damning of which appears to be Peppers.
The safety recorded what would have been tied for the second most combined tackles on the Patriots in Sunday's matchup by totaling six, on top of forcing and recovering a fumble by Antonio Gibson.
Jabrill Peppers, who barely played this week has made his defensive debut for the #Steelers against New England count.
— Rob Gregson (@NFL_Rob) September 21, 2025
That’s 4 turnovers, yet Pittsburgh only leads by 7. The offense is stuck in the mud.
pic.twitter.com/PzWAaVP5Tk
With how close the game was at the time, it was a devastating blow that only furthered the Patriots' struggles to inevitably lead to another home loss. It was a very winnable game that was primarily lost because of their costly and avoidable mistakes that they just couldn't dig themselves out of.
It's only worse knowing that a former player like Peppers contributed significantly to their loss, and he could have been a massive help to their struggling defense instead, especially in the continued absence of Christian Gonzalez.
After another loss like this week, the hope is that the cornerback will be ready to go next week and help avoid another failure like this one against the Steelers. It would also help fill the void left by Peppers, who proved beyond any doubt that he is still a starter and could have been a big contributor on the Patriots' defense, but will do that in Pittsburgh for the rest of the season.