Jabrill Peppers came to New England on a one-year prove-it deal and wound up earning himself a nice payday.
The veteran safety re-signed with the Patriots this week on a two-year contract worth up to $11 million that includes $6 million guaranteed, according to a report Wednesday from ESPN's Field Yates.
Those figures essentially lock Peppers into a roster spot for 2023 and suggest the Patriots see a significant role for the 27-year-old.
Peppers, who previously spent time with the Cleveland Browns and New York Giants, was New England's fourth safety in 2022, playing a variety of roles in a position group that also featured Devin McCourty, Kyle Dugger and Adrian Phillips. He also played 269 snaps on special teams.
Dugger and Phillips both remain under contract, as does third-year reserve Joshuah Bledsoe, but McCourty retired last week, creating a sizable hole in New England's secondary.
Dugger, Phillips, Peppers and several of the Patriots' cornerbacks all have seen action at free safety in their respective careers, but none is an obvious one-for-one replacement for McCourty, who started New England's last 128 games and rarely left the field.
How the Patriots plan to replace their longtime defensive leader will be a major storyline in spring practice and training camp. Peppers is best suited for the hard-hitting strong safety/linebacker role he primarily played this past season, but he has logged more than 1,000 snaps at free safety in his career, per Pro Football Focus.
