The New england Patriots are keeping one of their best defensive players around for the long term. The Pats and safety Jabrill Peppers are finalizing a three-year contract extension, coach Jerod Mayo confirmed on Friday. According to ESPN, the deal comes with a base value of $24 million and can be worth as much as $30 million.
"I am very happy for Peppers and for his family and also for the team and the organization," Mayo said. "He really embodies everything that we want on the field. He's very selfless and out there flying around all the time. It's good to get that deal done."
Peppers, who has been with the team since 2022, was originally a first-round pick of the Cleveland Browns back in 2017. He spent two years with Cleveland and three with the New York Giants before landing in New England.
He played a career-high 96% of defensive snaps last season, recording eight passes defense, two interceptions, and 78 tackles. He showcased a ton of versatility, as according to Pro Football Focus, he lined up for 424 snaps at free safety, 267 snaps in the box, 134 snaps in the slot, 80 snaps as a perimeter corner, and even 50 snaps along the defensive line.
He should now be a stalwart in Mayo's defense for the next several seasons, as he and fellow safety Kyle Dugger will be under contract through 2027, while defensive lineman Christian Barmore is locked up through 2028.
