Mike Tomlin sheds light on Jabriil Peppers' role as Steelers land ex-Patriots safety

NFL: JUL 24 New England Patriots Training Camp - Source: Getty
Jabrill Peppers signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers - Source: Getty

The Pittsburgh Steelers wasted no time after their Week 1 win, signing Jabrill Peppers to a one-year deal after the veteran safety was released from the New England Patriots. Peppers was a key member of New England's defense in 2024, and will now play for a different team in the AFC.

Ad

Peppers had recently extended his contract with the Patriots before a surprising release after training camp. He's still in shape to play. With the Steelers needing a new safety following DeShon Elliott's injury, it seemed a natural fit to bring him into the building.

Head coach Mike Tomlin discussed his signing on Tuesday when speaking with reporters during a press conference. He gave an interesting insight into the defender's usage, hinting that the veteran is likely to move across the defense instead of just playing safety:

Ad
"We’ll be signing Jabrill [Peppers] today and get him up to speed about what we’ll ask him to do. Highly familiar with him, not only with the Cleveland Browns but he was highly scouted coming out of Michigan. He’s a football player first, position player second. He’s displayed position flexibility over the course of his career at either safety position, run-down nickel, and he’s been a guy who is a capable special teamer, covering kicks, returning punts, he’s just a good, well-rounded football player."
Ad

Looking to predict NFL playoff Scenarios? Try our NFL Playoff Predictor for real-time simulations and stay ahead of the game!

Ad

Since his college career, his versatility has been a key part of his games. He was used all over the place by Jim Harbaugh, who had him aligned at nickel, safety and linebacker at different times in Michigan.

Jabrill Peppers has played only one full season since 2019

The former first-round pick has struggled with injuries during his career. The Steelers are now his fourth team in the NFL after stints with the Cleveland Browns, the New York Giants and the aforementioned Patriots.

Despite his bad luck with injuries, he has managed to make a career in the league due to his defensive versatility. He'll turn 30 in October, but despite his high number of injuries, he has played in just 99 games since the 2017 season. He has a good chance of continuing his career for a few more years.

New England Patriots Nation! Check out the latest Patriots Schedule and dive into the New England Patriots Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.

Quick Links

Edited by Henrique Bulio
Sportskeeda logo
Close menu
WWE
WWE
NBA
NBA
NFL
NFL
MMA
MMA
Tennis
Tennis
NHL
NHL
Golf
Golf
MLB
MLB
Soccer
Soccer
F1
F1
WNBA
WNBA
down arrow icon
More
bell-icon Manage notifications