Report: New England Patriots releasing safety Jabrill Peppers

The New England Patriots are releasing veteran safety Jabrill Peppers just days before the 2025 NFL season kicks off, ESPN‘s Adam Schefter reported Friday afternoon. Peppers still has $4.32 million guaranteed remaining on his contract for this season.

Peppers recorded one tackle in two preseason games with New England. He was selected with the No. 25 overall pick in the First Round of the 2017 NFL Draft and has played 99 career games with three franchises (Cleveland Browns, New York Giants and New England Patriots).

Patriots are releasing veteran safety Jabrill Peppers, per source. Peppers still has $4.32 million guaranteed remaining on his contract for this season.

Peppers has started 85 games, including 26 with New England, and has totaled over 500 tackles, seven interceptions, six forced… pic.twitter.com/0D8xc5vzH7

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 29, 2025

Over eight NFL seasons, Peppers has recorded 511 tackles, 30 TFL, 5.5 sacks and seven interceptions. He will likely latch on elsewhere shortly as all 30 franchises navigate the 2025 NFL season.

Peppers had been with the New England Patriots since 2022. He originally signed a one-year contract with New England and played in 17 games, but then resigned with the Patriots on a two-year deal before signing another extension in July of 2024 for three years and $30 million.

The Michigan alum was a five-star recruit coming out of Paramus Catholic (Paramus, NJ) in the Class of 2014, where he was the No. 2-ranked player in the country. He committed to Michigan out of high school, where he’d play from 2014-2016. He enjoyed an illustrious career in Ann Arbor, as he was named a Unanimous All-American along with earning the Lott Trophy and the Paul Hornung Award in 2016.

He was selected by the Cleveland Browns with the No. 25 overall pick in the Second Round of the 2017 NFL Draft, but remained with the franchise for just two seasons. His best season came in 2020 with the New York Giants, where he recorded 91 tackles and 2.5 sacks.

Peppers was placed on the Commissioner Exempt List last October after he was arrested on multiple charges, including strangulation and drug possession. He played in just two of New England’s final 11 regular season games last season and will now look to continue his career elsewhere.