Former Michigan football star Jabrill Peppers, now a safety for the New England Patriots, was arrested on Saturday morning in Braintree, Massachusetts.
Peppers faces charges of assault and battery, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, strangulation, and possession of a Class B substance. He appeared in Quincy District Court on Monday, where he pled not guilty.
Braintree police reported responding to a disturbance early Saturday morning after receiving a call about an altercation between two individuals. The victim was treated at the scene by emergency medical services.
Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo addressed the situation on sports radio WEEI, saying, “He called me that morning. We’ve informed the NFL, and we’re still gathering information. It’s a process.” The Patriots also issued a brief statement, acknowledging the incident and confirming the ongoing investigation.
Peppers did not play in the Patriots’ 15-10 loss to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday due to injury. The 2017 first-round draft pick signed a three-year, $24 million extension in July after a standout 2023 season, where he started 15 games and posted 78 tackles, two interceptions, a sack, and eight pass breakups while playing 96% of the team’s defensive snaps.
Now in his third year with New England and eighth overall in the NFL, the 29-year-old has accumulated 494 career tackles, seven interceptions, seven fumble recoveries, and 5.5 sacks. Peppers was also a 2016 Heisman Trophy finalist during his college career at Michigan.
