The Pittsburgh Steelers signed S Jabrill Peppers earlier this week to compensate for the loss of DeShon Elliott to injury. While Peppers has only practiced twice with the Steelers, fellow safety Juan Thornhill said he is already understanding Pittsburgh’s defense.
“Sometimes it takes guys a week or something to adjust, but it doesn’t even seem like it’s gonna take that long. It seems like he just knows what he’s doing already. He’s gonna fit in pretty well and help us out,” Thornhill said Thursday via video by Chris Adamski of TribLive on Twitter.
CB Darius Slay also said Peppers is picking up the defense quickly, and said he’s “100% go,” per Brooke Pryor of ESPN.
With Elliott already ruled out for Sunday, there’s a chance Peppers could play a role in the Steelers’ home opener. While he hasn’t had much time to acclimate, if he’s picking up the defense at the level Thornhill and Slay say, there could be a path to snaps for him this weekend.
Mike Tomlin didn’t rule out Peppers playing on Sunday and said it would depend on the division of labor throughout the week, so there’s a legitimate possibility he suits up. He’s familiar with AFC North football from his time with the Cleveland Browns, and even after Elliott returns, the Steelers could still find a role for Peppers.
He played some of his best football over the last two seasons with the New England Patriots and was a surprise cut in late August. If he can carry over that level of play with Pittsburgh, he’ll be a nice addition. Even with losing Elliott, the Steelers have a solid safety trio now with Peppers, Thornhill and Chuck Clark. Both Clark and Thornhill were solid in their Steelers debuts in Week 1, with Thornhill’s nine tackles leading the team while Clark had eight, including one for a loss.
Peppers offers similar abilities as Elliott with his penchant for playing downhill and making plays in the run game, and he should at least be a quality replacement in the interim. With the Steelers’ run defense an issue against the New York Jets in Week 1, having a safety who can get involved against the run should be key for helping stop the Seahawks’ ground game on Sunday, and Peppers is well-equipped to do so.
He was also a captain during his time with the Patriots, and it’s never a bad thing to add another player who can come in and lead. The fact he was making calls on defense today is a good sign that he’s already comfortable in Pittsburgh, and the Steelers will hope that the Peppers addition is more than a footnote to their season.
