Steelers Sign Former Patriots Starting Safety

The Pittsburgh Steelers have acquired some veteran safety depth after DeShon Elliott sustained an MCL sprain in the team's Week 1 win over the New York Jets.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo have reported that the Steelers are signing Jabrill Peppers, who was a surprise cut by the New England Patriots ahead of the 53-man roster deadline on August 26.

Former #Patriots S Jabrill Peppers, a surprise release after cut-down day, is expected to sign with the #Steelers per me and @MikeGarafolo. They’ve agreed to terms. pic.twitter.com/s2WzY10VgO
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 9, 2025

Pittsburgh's depth at safety was nothing to write home about before Elliott went down with his injury, but now that he will be forced to miss some time while on the mend, the addition of Peppers should help fortify the position.

He'll now join a pair of fellow veterans in Juan Thornhill and Chuck Clark as the Steelers' primary safeties. Thornhill logged eight tackles and recovered a fumble against the Jets while playing 54 defensive snaps. Clark also finished with eight tackles while logging 32 defensive reps and 18 on special teams.

A star at the University of Michigan, Peppers was selected in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns. He spent the first two seasons of his career with the franchise, racking up 137 tackles, a sack and four fumble recoveries in 29 games during that span, before being sent to the New York Giants as part of the Odell Beckham Jr. trade in March 2019.

A New Jersey native, Peppers remained with his hometown team through the 2021 campaign. He appeared in 32 contests for the Giants and came away with 196 tackles, 3.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and two interceptions.

Sep 8, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; New England Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers (5) celebrates following the win over the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

He later agreed to a one-year deal in free agency with the New England Patriots in April 2022. That season, Peppers posted 60 tackles across 17 games (five starts).

He subsequently inked a two-year contract with the Pats in March 2023 and started 15 games for them that season, putting up 78 tackles and two interceptions.

Peppers and New England came to terms on yet another deal in July 2024, with that one coming in at a value of $24 million over three years. He suited up for six games and was cut last month, opening the door for the Steelers to bring him in.

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