Jabrill Peppers reveals uncommon diagnosis keeping him sidelined for Week 16

Leading up to the Patriots Week 16 matchup with the Denver Broncos, a few Patriots had been listed with injuries that kept them out of practice, ultimately ruling them out with their final injury report before Sunday's game.

One of the newer names on that list was Jabrill Peppers, who will not be traveling with the team out West after missing practice all week due to a recent injury. This will be the first game the safety will miss since signing with the team in 2022, and his presence will sorely be missed, as he has been a consistently productive part of a defense, keeping the team in games over the last several weeks.

Because he has become a fan favorite over the last two years, fans took to Twitter to express their disappointment about Peppers' pending absence.

One fan shared what he believed was the injury he was suffering from to keep him sidelined in Week 16, which Peppers promptly confirmed with a humorous response.

"He got that dawg in him."

It was a fun way for Peppers to reply to an obviously complimentary tweet, as the "diagnosis" is only given to those who play aggressively and harshly and consistently prove it on the field every week, two words that exemplify the type of player that he is.

Not having him in the game against a potentially beatable Broncos team will allow others to step up in his place, but they won't be able to fully make up for the loss since Peppers is nearly having the best season of his career in 2023. Through 14 games this year, he's recorded 76 combined tackles, five tackles for loss, two interceptions returned for 34 yards, seven passes defended, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

The leadership he has exhibited this season has played a massive part in solidifying himself as a leader on the defense, and his memorable performances continue to prove how he's earned that spot and should be with the team long-term.

Hopefully, the defense can still wreak havoc against Russell Wilson and the Denver offense on Sunday despite Peppers' absence, which would be a great way to head into Week 17 against the Buffalo Bills.

And fingers crossed he can "recover" from this recent "diagnosis" in the meantime.

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