Patriots defensive back Jabrill Peppers has seen more than his fair share of bad football in his professional travels.
After helping turn Michigan around in coach Jim Harbaugh’s early years, Peppers spent his rookie year with the 0–16 Browns in 2017. After Cleveland improved in 2018, it traded him to the Giants, where he suffered through three losing seasons.
Since 2022, he has been with New England for two of the worst years of coach Bill Belichick's illustrious career. Peppers's frustration seemingly boiled over Sunday, when he was caught telling Giants running back Saquon Barkley he was “lucky we ass” after a 10–7 loss.
Kevin R. Wexler/USA TODAY Network
On Friday, Peppers publicly apologized to the Patriots for his remarks.
“First of all, I just want to apologize to my teammates and the coaches for even having to answer questions like that,” Peppers said. “We’ve got more important things to worry about than me being caught on a hot mic... We all know the standard, we all know what it’s supposed to look like, and it’s not that right now."
Video: Jabrill Peppers apologizes for remarks to Saquon Barkley that became a distraction to teammates— which referenced the Patriots’ standing as having one of the NFL’s worst records — that were caught on a hot mic on the field after Sunday’s Patriots-Giants game. pic.twitter.com/8wIFMlVuHZ
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) December 1, 2023
New England’s loss dropped the team to 2–9; the Patriots are on pace for their worst record since a 2–14 campaign in 1992.
