According to Adam Schefter, the Patriots are releasing veteran SJabrill Peppers on Friday.
Mark Daniels notes that the Patriots are planning to start Jaylinn Hawkins and Craig Woodson at safety.
New England will create $4 million in cap space and $2.45 million in dead money by releasing Peppers, per OverTheCap .
Peppers, 29, is a former first-round pick of the Browns back in 2017. He finished the final year of his four-year, $10.3 million rookie contract after he was traded to New York from Cleveland as part of the Odell Beckham Jr trade. The Giants picked up his fifth-year option in 2020.
Peppers missed all but six games in 2021 due to an ACL tear and signed a one-year deal with the Patriots.
Peppers returned to New England on a two-year contract, then signed a three-year, $24 million extension last year. He was set to make a base salary of $4,500,000 this season.
In 2024, Peppers appeared in six games for the Patriots and recorded 40 tackles, a forced fumble, an interception and two pass defenses.