PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Steelers adding another defensive back who can play multiple positions and it’s another guy who said he’s always wanted to play for Mike Tomlin.
Jabrill Peppers went through an entire practice Wednesday at multiple spots a day after signing with the Steelers. It was eight years after Peppers first met Tomlin at the Michigan Pro Day.
He remembers that interaction, said it was a good conversation. His mom even got a picture with the Steelers coach. Then Peppers was gone with pick 25. The Steelers selected 30th in the first round in 2017 and chose TJ Watt. Even Peppers joked that it worked out for the Steelers.
The 29-year-old spent his first two seasons with the Browns and then had his best year with the Giants with 91 tackles and eight tackles for loss in 2020. He had 78 tackles in 15 starts with New England in 2023.
“I think it's a great fit,” Peppers said. “It's just little different things you're used to doing. So just got to lock in on the details, get out there a little bit more, shake the rest off. So I should be all right.”
Peppers can play either safety position and also in the slot, where he said he could make immediate impact is on special teams. What he does say he will do is be a professional, get in the playbook and pick it up as fast as he can. He said knowing a number of different positions allows him to pick up new schemes quickly.
Now he is a Steeler because of injuries to DeShon Elliott and Joey Porter, Junior and also because he was released by the Patriots.
“It's been a different experience for me, but at the end of the day that's the nature of this league,” Peppers said. “Business is business, you can't put your feelings into it. Wherever you end up, they want you, and you gotta go in there, put your best foot forward, do whatever they ask you to do to help that team with some football games. That's what I plan to do.”
Peppers now gets to play for Tomlin, sooner than he thought he would, but as he said, just happy to have a job at a place he’s excited about.
“(Tomlin is) one of the best to do it, you know,” Peppers said. “I already had the chance to play for Bill (Belichick in New England). He was another guy said I want to play for. What is it, year 19 (for Tomlin), he always puts his best foot forward, has his ball clubs in good positions at the end of the year. Man, that's how can you not want to be a part of that? “