Jabrill Peppers' release not related to Patriots' defensive scheme

Doug Kyed, Boston Herald on Sep 1, 2025

Published in Football

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FOXBORO, Mass. — The Patriots saved one more surprise cut for the end of last week.

The Patriots made the somewhat shocking decision Friday to release veteran safety Jabrill Peppers. Head coach Mike Vrabel broke his silence on the move Monday morning in his first press conference since Wednesday.

Most notably, Vrabel said Peppers’ release was not related to the Patriots’ new defensive scheme.

“No, I don’t think that was certainly not the issue. There’s a lot of reasons,” Vrabel said. “I wouldn’t say that’s — we’re going to try to do what works best for the team. We got a lot of different schemes that we can run in all three phases, special teams, offense and defense. There’s a lot that goes into it. And again, we’re just trying to build toward Sunday here, and that’s our focus. And again, that’s the decision that we had to make. Again, wish the best for Jabrill.”

So, why did the Patriots release Peppers?

Vrabel said it was in the best interest of the team, and it allowed Peppers to get an opportunity with another franchise.

“I think that these things are tough decisions. I think we’re just trying to get it right,” Vrabel said. “And a lot of respect for Jabrill as a person and as a player, and what we felt like was in the best interest of the team at this point was allowing him to have another opportunity elsewhere. There’s a lot of things that go into these decisions. They’re never easy. We’re just trying to get it right collectively.

“I know that there’s a personal side and professional side, talked about that with players this morning, and whether you agree with it or disagree with it, just try to respect it and move forward. And continue to build a team, continue to build a program, and I know Jabrill will do good things in this league and outside of the field, as well. He’s a passionate player and I got a lot of respect for him.”

Peppers’ release came three days after league-wide roster cuts, when the Patriots trimmed their roster down to 53 players. The Patriots made three releases after Tuesday’s cuts, also waiving wide receiver Javon Baker and releasing wide receiver Kendrick Bourne.

The Patriots added quarterback Tommy DeVito, cornerback Charles Woods and rookie defensive tackle Eric Gregory to take their place on the roster.

Peppers’ release leaves the team with Jaylinn Hawkins, Craig Woodson, Kyle Dugger, Dell Pettus and Brenden Schooler at safety.

Vrabel was asked what the team saw in Woodson that allowed them to move on from Peppers.

“Well, I think that his athleticism, I think his range in the field and the more he plays, I think he’ll continue to get better. That’s the hope there with Craig,” Vrabel said. “And we’ll see with Hawk and with Dug and obviously Dell working back there now. So, just trying to find a role for everybody here.”

The Patriots began the summer with Peppers and Dugger as their starting safeties. Dugger was move to the second-team unit fairly early in training camp. Peppers was seeing snaps as the Patriots’ third safety behind Hawkins and Woodson to close out training camp.

Hawkins, who’s in his second season with the Patriots and sixth in the NFL, and Woodson, a 2025 fourth-round pick, are viewed as the team’s likely starters. It’s unclear who will be used as the team’s third safety between Dugger and Pettus.

Vrabel reiterated that the move to release Peppers was not “scheme-dependent” when asked what makes Hawkins a good fit.

“We’ve run a lot of different schemes, we’ve had a lot of different players play different positions for us. He’s come in, he’s played fast, he’s communicated, he’s tried to play with some violence around the line of scrimmage,” Vrabel said. “And whether that’s on the perimeter passes that we saw in some of the earlier games, I think he’s comfortable. And again, the more reps that he’s gotten, I think the better he’s gotten and will hopefully perform.”

Both Dugger and Pettus were wearing different uniform numbers in practice Monday, indicating they would be used on the scout team. It appeared that Dugger would be imitating Jeremy Chinn, Pettus would be practicing as Chris Smith and Schooler would be working as Isaiah Pola-Mao.