Fascinating take from Jabrill Peppers here. I guess the Michigan alum is feeling a little extra-aggressive ahead of Monday’s College Football Playoff national championship game when the Wolverines take on Michael “Big” Penix Jr. and the Washington Huskies.
Peppers might figure that punching Penix in the… face… might be the only way to slow down the high-octane passing attack the Huskies quarterback operates. All due respect to Michigan’s defense, of course. I think they’ll do better than Texas did. Then again, Penix was out of his freaking mind in the CFP semifinals. I doubt he’s going to end his six-year college career with a whimper.
I personally don’t want to see Penix get decked by a Wolverines defender tonight. Guess we’ll see. But Peppers made no mention of Michigan or the impending national title tilt. It was more of a general statement. I’m just choosing to run with a very loose inference about the timing of the post:
Kind of makes sense. You can tell Peppers has given this a lot of thought. Good on him. Think about all the brainless social media posts out there and try not to cringe. At least he created some very specific ground rules for football fights. Given how violent the sport is already, I’m personally not about fights where further injury could, particularly if you KO somebody and concuss them. Already enough traumatic head injuries to go around, in my opinion. Why add more?
OK let’s not get too serious about this.
There’s also got to be some pent-up frustration on Peppers’ part regarding his own career. Brace yourselves, for this is rather depressing (in a humorous way, I promise). Although he got to play under Jim Harbaugh for his final two college seasons, Peppers went to the NFL before the Wolverines’ program really took off on Harbaugh’s watch. Peppers was rewarded upon going pro by being drafted in the first round. Alas, it was to the Cleveland Browns, who’d proceed to go 0-16 in his rookie season.
After going to the Giants in the Odell Beckham Jr. trade, and having a few forgettable years there — including an injury-plagued 2021 with a torn ACL and high ankle sprain — Peppers seems to have found a home in New England. Getting to play for Bill Belichick is a treat. Only problem is, Peppers got there after Tom Brady had already left. Belichick looks like he might finally be ending his legendary tenure with the Patriots this offseason, too.
Can Jabrill Peppers catch a freaking break? Sheesh. Seven years in the NFL. Not once has Peppers’ team posted a winning record. No wonder he wants to beat somebody’s arse on the gridiron. In all seriousness, I really respect that Peppers gutted through a bad hammy in Week 18, with New England’s season completely decided.
Peppers is under contract to remain in Foxborough through next season. He’ll be a key leader on a team that’ll likely get younger and could be in for a full-blown rebuild. Armed with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, though, you never know what can happen. We just saw the Houston Texans go from straight-up losers to second overall pick CJ Stroud valmorphanizing them into AFC South champs.
Who’s to say the Pats can’t catch lightning in a bottle, draft their next franchise guy/long-term Brady successor, and compete for the playoffs right away? Their defense is still damn good. Peppers was graded as PFF’s fifth-best safety this season. They just need an offensive identity paradigm shift. That’s why I think Belichick will likely be out.
Who knows? We might get a Mike Vrabel-Arthur Smith Patriots coach-offensive coordinator combo here soon.
