FOXBORO – As he slept at the Steelers’ team hotel before his first game back at Gillette Stadium, Jabrill Peppers had a dream.
The veteran safety imagined himself forcing a turnover, then raising his arms to celebrate in front of the crowd that cheered him on during his three seasons as a Patriot.
Early in the second half Sunday, that dream came true.
Peppers, unexpectedly cut by New England on Aug. 29, pushed through a Mack Hollins block, jarred the ball from Antonio Gibson’s hands and then pounced on the fumble. It was one of five Pittsburgh takeaways in the game, which the Steelers went on to win 21-14, and a moment of triumph for Peppers
“I envisioned it last night,” a beaming Peppers said postgame. “I definitely envisioned it last night. Let the fans know I miss them, but I’m down with the Steel Curtain now, and I hope to become a fan favorite there, too.”
After playing only on special teams one week earlier in his Steelers debut, Peppers started at safety against the Patriots. He tallied six tackles to go along with his fumble recovery, in a key role for a play-making Pittsburgh defense.
Asked if the win meant more given his recent history with New England, Peppers replied: “Oh, absolutely.”
“Absolutely,” he said. “I needed this one. I thank each and every man, coach in here. We had a great week of work, great prep. It feels good right now, I’m not going to lie.”
Head coach Mike Vrabel spent much of his first Patriots offseason purging the team’s established leadership core, cutting ties with veterans like David Andrews, Ja’Whaun Bentley, Jonathan Jones, Deatrich Wise and Joe Cardona. But Peppers, a former team captain, stuck around through training camp, the preseason and roster cutdown day, projecting as a starter in New England’s new-look defense.
The Patriots, however, chose to cut Peppers nine days before their season opener. Jaylinn Hawkins and third-round rookie Craig Woodson have been their primary safeties since his release, with fellow veteran Kyle Dugger and second-year pro Dell Pettus playing smaller roles.
Speaking with the Herald after his postgame media scrum, Peppers said he did not expect to be released.
“Yeah, I was (surprised),” the 29-year-old said. “I’m not going to get into any of the specifics. I don’t want it to be a distraction or turn into a media thing. I was definitely surprised, but it’s the nature of this business. Sometimes you’re not good enough. But I definitely wanted the opportunity to show them that I can still play in this league at a high level, so I think I did a pretty good job of that today.”
Asked whether he had anything else he’d like to share about his exit from New England, Peppers declined.
“Nah, man,” he said. “I’ve got a lot of love and respect for those guys, man. You can’t mix feelings with business. It is what it is. I know they’ve got a lot of tough decisions to make when it comes to the roster. They’ve got a lot of great young players over there, got a lot of guys who can really impact the game. I grinded with those guys. I love them, and I miss them, but I love my new home now, too.”
He added: “I wish nothing but success for those guys. They work hard, they’re well-coached and they deserve it.”
Another ex-Patriots captain could soon be joining Peppers in Pittsburgh’s defense. Bentley, who was cut in March and remained unsigned for nearly six months, signed with the Steelers’ practice squad last week. The linebacker did not suit up Sunday but did make the trip to Foxboro.
“I can’t wait,” Peppers said. “I can’t wait. He’s on his own program, but best believe when he steps out there, too, his presence is going to be felt.”
Peppers’ role also could fluctuate moving forward – his uptick in snaps Sunday coincided with an injury to starting safety DeShon Elliott, who was inactive – but he said he felt grateful to be back on the field.
“(The last month has) been pretty crazy, but I missed this feeling of playing football,” he said. “All the emotions that go with it, the preparation that goes with it, the competition level – there’s not too many feelings like this when you play in the National Football League week in and week out. It was just something I missed, and I’m happy to be back out there.”