New England Patriots Work Out Extension with Key Defender

The New England Patriots are under new management in 2024. Gone is legendary head coach Bill Belichick, who parted ways with the franchise this offseason.

He has been replaced as head coach by his former linebacker, Jerod Mayo. In the front office, Eliot Wolf is now running the show.

Mayo and Wolf are looking to get the franchise back on track. The New England Patriots never quite recovered from Tom Brady’s departure, missing the playoffs in three out of four seasons since he left for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Until Drake Maye, the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft is ready to lead the team, the coaching staff will be relying on the defense to keep things competitive. One player that Mayo will be counting on is safety Jabrill Peppers.

Peppers came to the New England Patriots as a free agent in 2022. After playing in 17 games and starting five in Year 1 with the team, he started in all 15 games he appeared in during the 2023 season.

The team identified him as a core piece of the defense and is not rewarding him as such. According to ESPN’s Field Yates, via Mike Reiss, the New England Patriots and Peppers have agreed to a multi-year extension.

It is a three-year deal with a base of $24 million. But, Peppers could earn as much as $30 million once its all said and done.

“He really embodies everything that you want on the field. He’s very selfless out there, flying around all the time, and it’s good to get that deal done,” Mayo said .

The backend of the New England Patriots defense is now in good hands for years to come. Earlier this offseason, the team agreed to a four-year, $58 million extension with Kyle Dugger.

That deal was completed after the franchise tag was placed on Dugger early in the offseason. The franchise has made it clear they want to build from within, as Peppers is the 11th player to receive an extension from the team or be re-signed this offseason.

A first-round pick of the Cleveland Browns in the 2017 NFL Draft, Peppers is entering his eighth year in the NFL. He also spent time with the New York Giants , where he landed after being part of the Odell Beckham Jr. blockbuster trade in 2019.

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