When news broke that Jabrill Peppers was officially removed from the Commissioners Exempt List six weeks after he was charged with domestic violence and possession back in October, it placed the New England Patriots in a gray area.
Technically allowed to return to practice if welcomed back by the organization, Peppers’ trial date isn’t scheduled until January, which could lead to the team being hesitant about bringing one of their captains back into the fold if for no other reason than the optics surrounding the decision.
And yet, when asked about Pepper’s status moving forward, Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo let it be known that he would like to bring his starting safety back into the fold both for practice and games moving forward.
“Look, we put the statement out yesterday from an organizational standpoint of how we want to let this process work itself out,” Mayo told reporters. “Look, when Pep is ready to go, hopefully we can get him to the game.”
Asked if the Patriots would let the legal process play out instead of throwing him back into the fire, Mayo effectively said no, noting that if Peppers is eligible to play, he would like to see him on the field.
“Yeah, to me, I think it’s just out of respect for the legal process to let that stuff play out,” Mayo told reporters. “For us inside these four walls, as long as he’s doing the right thing, I expect him to be able to play when he’s ready to go… Look, I fully understand the question. I mean, it’s going to take time. The legal process outside the building and what we think happened inside the building. At the same time, the NFL has taken him off of that Commissioner’s Exempt List, and that’s what we have to roll with.”
Are the Patriots willing to take the risk of playing Peppers in this current landscape? Mayo comments on that, too, as after the NFL removed the star safety from their exempt list, the Patriots were placed in a unique spot.
Jerod Mayo has accepted the NFL’s position on Jabrill Peppers
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Asked if the Patriots are content with the NFL’s investigation versus the team’s own internal evaluations, Mayo noted that while the legal process may still have to play out, his status as an active player is why he will return to the practice field this week.
“Yeah, look, I fully understand the question. I mean, it’s going to take time,” Mayo told reporters. “The legal process outside the building and what we think happened inside the building. At the same time, the NFL has taken him off of that Commissioner’s Exempt List, and that’s what we have to roll with.”
But what if something else comes out about Peppers over the next few months before his trial? Surely, the Patriots have to be worried about the optics, right? Maybe some in the organization are, but Mayo is not one of them, as he’s more concerned with winning games, which is why the Michigan product will be back on the practice field ahead of Week 13.
“No, look, you always have to assume that things come out,” Mayo noted. “What I will say, in regards to Jabrill, we released that statement, he’s off the list, and we anticipate him being at practice.”
Will Peppers actually see the field for the Patriots again in 2024? Will he continue to remain one of the team’s captains? Or will the potential for future harsh headlines regarding Peppers’ impending trial keep him as a practice-only player until everything is resolved? While only time will tell, Mayo’s comments certainly have made this a story to follow heading into Week 13.