Pats Pulpit
Jabrill Peppers made his return to Gillette Stadium on Sunday, and it was a successful one for the former New England Patriots starting safety. Not only did his Pittsburgh Steelers celebrate a 21-14 victory, he also had an active hand in finalizing the end result.
Peppers finished the game with six tackles and also recovered an Antonio Gibson fumble in the third quarter. He also was awarded a game ball from head coach Mike Tomlin afterwards.
“I needed this one,” Peppers said after the game. “I thank each and every man, coach in here. We had a great week of work, great prep. It feels good right now. I just had to keep my emotions in check — not let the moment be too big, let the plays come to you.”
Originally arriving in New England in 2022, Peppers appeared in 38 games with 26 starts over three seasons in New England. Nonetheless, head coach Mike Vrabel and company decided to part ways with the 29-year-old in late August. Even though he had made the Patriots’ initial 53-man roster, he was released in an apparent effort to get younger on the defensive side of the ball.
Two weeks later, the Steelers picked the veteran defender up. Sunday marked his second game for his new club, and it went as he had hoped.
“I envisioned it last night,” Peppers said. “I definitely envisioned it last night. Let the fans know I miss them, but I’m down with the Steel Curtain now. I hope to become a fan favorite there, too.”
Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who himself had a revenge game against the New York Jets in Week 1, understands where Peppers’ motivation.
“As former players, when you’re playing former teams, that’s what you want. You want to make a big play and make them think about what they lost,” Rodgers said. “There’s always that. Every single week there’s a guy that’s facing his former team probably, and he’d like to get him the ball or have him make some plays. He was definitely happy in the locker room.”
