New England Patriots

‘Oh my God’: Bill Belichick has high praise for strides made by safety Jabrill Peppers

"He’s a much different player now than he was last year at this time."

Jabrill Peppers has continued to improve after recovering from a torn ACL back in 2021. (AP Photo/Greg M. Cooper)

By Conor Ryan

June 13, 2023

2 minutes to read

FOXBORO — Bill Belichick isn’t exactly known for doling out heaps of praise up at the podium.

Unless you’re Lawrence Taylor, of course.

But when asked Tuesday about the strides made by safety Jabrill Peppers entering his second season in New England, Belichick offered up a rave review.

“Oh my god, yeah. He’s a much different player now than he was last year at this time or even in training camp,” Belichick said of Peppers. “A full year after the injury, a lot of confidence in the communication, the system, his assignments. He’s playing fast, aggressive, helping out his teammates.

“Last year he was trying to learn things, now he’s helping out his teammates, anticipating, making calls or adjustments that maybe help him or possibly help his teammate be in a better position to defend a certain play or type of play. Yeah, he’s been great. He’s way ahead of where he was last year.”

A former first-round pick, the 27-year-old Peppers showcased his blend of size and speed during his first season in Foxboro in 2022.

Jabrill Peppers was really good. This is a ridiculous fit from two-high against a counter scheme. Nice job by Tavai to work over the top to force the runner to cut back, and Peppers comes from the backside deep safety spot to fit the cutback lane. Sweet play. #Patriots pic.twitter.com/bqaBqCJrEI
— Evan Lazar (@ezlazar) October 31, 2022

Peppers was a pleasant surprise both on defense and special teams last year, given that New England didn’t exactly know what it was going to get from him after signing him to a one-year deal in March 2022.

Even though the hard-hitting safety’s talent is evident, Peppers’ career has been disrupted at times by severe injuries.

When New England signed Peppers last offseason, he was still on the mend from a torn ACL that cut his 2021 campaign with the Giants short. That extended recovery limited his reps during training camp, leading to a slow start in Foxboro.

But as the season progressed, Peppers became a useful cog on a New England defense that ranked eighth in the NFL in yards allowed per game (322.0).

Now almost 20 months removed from his season-ending knee injury, Peppers feels as though he finally has a clean slate after playing catch-up for an extended stretch in 2022.

“It just feels good to be healthy,” Peppers said. “To wake up, no pain in the morning, get out of bed and do your thing. I feel explosive again, I feel fast again. But I’m still a long ways away. They said it’s a two to three-year injury before you’re fully healed. But right now I feel pretty good.

“[Patriots strength and conditioning coach Moses Cabrera] and those guys are doing a great job with the strength and conditioning program, building guys’ muscles up and helping me get back on my feet. My second year in the system, I’m just more comfortable. I know the guys now, I know what makes them tick, what their best qualities are.”

While there is no easy way for New England to fill the void left by Devin McCourty, the team will have plenty of options to turn to at safety.

Peppers, who re-upped on a two-year deal with New England in March, will certainly factor into the equation for the Patriots. The veteran has already been a regular on New England’s first-team defense during minicamp, splitting reps at safety with Kyle Dugger, Adrian Phillips, and Jalen Mills.

“We know the type of defense we can be if we execute,” Peppers said. “We know where we fell short of last year, the mistakes that we made that might have cost us. But we’re all a year older … we’re just trying to build on that.”