The New England Patriots made a shocking move and released Jabrill Peppers on Friday. Peppers was a defensive captain at the start of last season.
Peppers has been with the Patriots since 2022. However, in Mike Vrabel’s first year with the team, he now finds himself without a squad. Many questioned why Peppers was shockingly released, raising the question of whether his release had to do with Vrabel’s scheme.
“(Scheme) was certainly not the issue,” Vrabel told reporters when asked about why Peppers was released, according to the New York Post’s Erich Richter. “There’s a lot of reasons. I wouldn’t say that’s — we’re gonna try to do what’s best for the team, and we got a lot of different schemes that we can run in all three phases… . There’s a lot that goes into it, and again, we’re just trying to build towards Sunday here, and that’s our focus. And again, that’s a decision that we had to make. We wish the best for Jabrill.”
Peppers was a former first-round pick of the Cleveland Browns. He started 26 games for the Patriots in the last three seasons. He signed a $24 million extension before last season, but the new coaching staff in New England is clearly not as fond of him as the old regime.
Vrabel did not provide a real reason as to why Peppers was released, but he did clarify it had nothing to do with the scheme. Peppers’ release is surprising, but it is the type of move that happens all around the league when a new coaching staff comes in. Peppers was stripped of his status as captain after being arrested last season, and the new coaching staff owes him no favors. Vrabel clearly thinks the Patriots are better off without Peppers.
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