Playing for Mike Tomlin is the silver lining to getting released by the Patriots last month, veteran safety Jabrill Peppers said after signing with the Steelers on Wednesday. Brought in due to DeShon Elliott’s injury, it’s unclear what his role is. But at least he can cross something off his bucket list, even if he planned to get to it later.
“It just is what it is”, Peppers said of his release, via the Steelers’ website. “Sometimes you’re not good enough. You play a long time in this league and you’re gonna get traded or cut. It is what it is. I’m happy Tomlin made the call. He was a coach I definitely said I wanted to play for before I retired. It just happened a lot sooner than I thought, but I’m happy to be here”.
Of course, every player who comes through the Steelers’ door says they wanted to play for Mike Tomlin, and Jabrill Peppers is no exception. Tomlin currently has a stocked secondary of seasoned veterans in a similar boat. Topping the list is Jalen Ramsey, but there’s also Darius Slay, another All-Pro cornerback. Before him was Donte Jackson, and before him, Patrick Peterson, all eager to play for Tomlin.
“He’s one of the best to do it. I already had the chance to play for Bill [Belichick]. He was another guy I said I wanted to play for”, Peppers said of why he wanted to play for Tomlin. “Always puts his best foot forward, has his ball clubs in good positions at the end of the year. How can you not want to be a part of that?”.
The Cleveland Browns selected Jabrill Peppers 25th overall in the 2017 NFL Draft, five slots before Mike Tomlin and the Steelers selected T.J. Watt. That decision worked out well for them, but at the time many viewed Peppers as a potential option.
Peppers believes he is a good fit for Tomlin’s defense, noting that he had other options. Teams typically wait to sign low-level veterans until after Week 1 to avoid guaranteeing their full contract. Officially signing him on Wednesday, they also promoted James Pierre from the practice squad, placing Malik Harrison and Skylar Thompson on IR.
With 85 starts in 99 NFL games, Peppers is a seasoned veteran. He has 511 career tackles, with 30 for loss, seven interceptions, six forced fumbles, and 35 passes defensed. Last season, he only played six games due to injury.
Tomlin and the Steelers this offseason traded Minkah Fitzpatrick, but extended DeShon Elliott. They brought in veteran Juan Thornhill and later added Chuck Clark as well. With Elliott sidelined, Thornhill and Clark will start Sunday against the Seahawks, supplemented by Jalen Ramsey. If he gets up to speed, we could certainly see Jabrill Peppers contribute as well.
