The legal proceedings surrounding Jabrill Peppers have come to an end. A jury in Quincy District Court acquitted the Patriots safety on domestic violence charges Friday.
Peppers testified in the trial on Friday before the case wrapped up. As detailed by Nick Stoico of the Boston Globe, the jury deliberated for a little over one hour before delivering the not guilty verdict. Peppers had faced charges of strangulation, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and assault and battery on a family or household member.
Shortly after Peppers’ arrest in October in relation to the incident — during which he was alleged to have choked, hit, and shoved a woman down a set of stairs — he was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list. The woman had identified herself as Peppers’ on-and-off girlfriend; the arrest occurred shortly after Peppers’ 29th birthday. Placement on the exempt list is commonplace in the case of domestic violence cases, with a six-game length being considered the standard. After seven missed contests, Peppers was taken off the list.
Peppers’ testimony included a denial of the woman’s claims, although he did admit on Thursday to cocaine possession. That charge has been continued without finding, meaning that without further incident for a period of four months it will be dropped. While the woman in question has also filed a civil suit against Peppers for $9.5MM, his attention will now turn back to his status with the Patriots.
Robert Kraft had said the Patriots conducted their own investigation, adding that if the initial report turned out to be true the team would have cut Peppers. The eight-year veteran returning to play in two games before season’s end provided a reasonable indication the Pats did not conclude the initial allegations against him were entirely accurate, but the former Browns and Giants defender may not be out of the woods yet.
NFL suspensions are not entirely contingent on convictions, as many recent examples have shown. Peppers could still face league discipline, which would put his 2025 guarantees in jeopardy. The Michigan alum’s three-year, $25MM extension — one of many Eliot Wolf greenlit for Bill Belichick-era acquisitions in 2024 — calls for $2.5MM of Peppers’ $4.5MM 2025 base salary to be guaranteed.
A suspension would void the $2.5MM number, giving the Pats a clearer path to a smooth release. If Peppers is banned, only his $4.5MM in prorated bonus money would count as dead cap in the event of a release. Still, Peppers’ extension years have not yet begun. It would represent a notable miss on the Wolf-led regime’s part if a release occurred before he played in 2025.
Sam Robinson contributed to this post.