NFL Trade Rumors: New England Patriots Sign Safety Jabrill Peppers to Team-Friendly Extension

The New England Patriots apparently still have some team-first players in the building. According to ESPN's Field Yates, the Patriots are finalizing a three-year, $24 million extension with star safety Jabrill Peppers.

The Patriots and S Jabrill Peppers are finalizing a 3-year extension with a base value of $24M and worth up to $30M, per source.

A reward for their best defensive player in 2023.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) July 26, 2024

Peppers was arguably the Patriots' best defensive player in 2023, notching 78 total tackles and allowing a passer rating of 72.7 on throws in his direction while playing 955 defensive snaps. He earned an elite 87.3 overall grade from Pro Football Focus for his efforts.

The $8 million per year average of his new deal is a bargain rate for a player of Peppers' calibre. Per overthecap, there are 14 safeties making more than $9 million per year presently. Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield's four-year, $84.1 million signed earlier this offseason is currently the richest deal in the league.

Peppers' deal is yet another indication that contracts in the NFL are dictated as much by perception as by quality of play. Peppers came to the Patriots as a distressed asset. He was a mild disappointment on the Cleveland Browns after being drafted 25th overall in 2017, and he didn't fare much better after being traded to the New York Giants. Clearly, those years affect his market value to this day.

In any case, the Patriots should be thrilled to have Peppers, particularly at this rate. As disappointing as their 2023 season was, they have the makings of a great defense. They finished seventh in yards allowed and first in rushing yards per attempt allowed in 2023, even with devastating injuries to four-time Pro Bowl Edge Rusher Matthew Judon (13 missed games) and 2023 first-round pick cornerback Christian Gonzalez (13 missed games).

With Jerod Mayo moving up from defensive coordinator to head coach this year, the Patriots defense should be able to build on that success. Whether or not their offense can hold up its end of the bargain will ultimately determine how competitive they can be this season and beyond.