The NFL announced on Monday that Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers has been reinstated, removing him from the league’s Commissioner Exempt List.
A removal from this list could mean a return to action in the near future for the veteran defensive back, who has been away from the team since being added to the list on the morning of October 9.
Peppers was added to the list after the 29-year-old team captain was arrested on October 5. He was charged with assault and battery, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, strangulation, and possession of a Class "B" substance. According to police at the time, the substance was believed to be cocaine.
Peppers appeared for his arraignment on October 7 at Quincy District Court, and pleaded “not guilty” on all charges. Peppers' next court date was November 22, which saw his attorney Marc Brofsky appearing in his place. It was at that appearance that a full trial date was set for January 22.
With the full trial taking place after the Patriots’ season, the league has decided to reinstate Peppers. With that said, the NFL did say they will continue reviewing the situation.
When a player is added to the Commissioner Exempt List, that player is put on paid leave and prohibits them from playing in games or participating in practice. Commissioner Roger Goodell is the only person who can trigger an addition to this list, and is typically only used when a player is dealing with a legal matter that has yet to yield an outcome in the courts.
While on the list, the player can still access team facilities. With that said, Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo told the media in October that “in the near-term,” Peppers would not be in the building and away from the team.
“I just want to be clear that really any act of domestic violence is unacceptable for us,” Mayo told the media on October 9. “As a team - whether you're a player, staff member, we’re wholeheartedly against any type of domestic violence.
“I know the organization’s position, which I fully support. You know, with that being said, I do think that, you know, Jabrill has to go through the system, has to continue to go through due process, and we’ll see how that works out. What I will say is that the league has put him on the Exempt List, and that will give us time to really gather more information going forward. At this time he is not in the building, and we’ll talk about that at a later time.
“As a father of three daughters, I definitely understand the seriousness of the allegations, and hopefully they’re not true.”
Mayo is set to speak with the media again on Tuesday morning, and will surely be asked a bevy of questions about this developing situation with Peppers.
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