Tom E. Curran and Phil Perry react to Matthew Judon’s comments on Wednesday about his contract status and break down why it’s a major test for Eliot Wolf and the Patriots front office.
One of the most important players on the New England Patriots defense has been given a contract extension.
The team and veteran safety Jabrill Peppers have agreed to a three-year, $24 million deal, per multiple reports. Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo confirmed Friday morning the team agreed to an extension with Peppers.
"I am very happy for Peppers and for his family, and also for our team and the organization," Mayo said. "He really embodies everything that we want on the field, you know, he’s very selfless. He’s out there flying around all the time and it’s good to get that deal done."
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The contract could be worth as much as $30 million, per ESPN's Field Yates.
The Patriots signed Peppers as a free agent before the 2022 season and he's been an excellent pickup for their secondary. The 2017 first-round draft pick has tallied 138 tackles, one sack, two interceptions and eight pass deflections over 32 career games (20 starts) for the Patriots.
Peppers is the fifth player to receive an extension from the Patriots since the beginning of the offseason, joining center David Andrews, defensive tackle Christian Barmore, running back Rhamondre Stevenson and linebacker Jahlani Tavai. The Patriots also re-signed several of their own free agents, including safety Kyle Dugger and linebacker Josh Uche, among others.
Keeping their best players has been a major theme for the Patriots since the end of the 2023 season, and the Peppers extension is just the latest example.
The question that remains is who's next? Pass rusher Matthew Judon and defensive lineman Davon Godchaux are entering the final years of their respective contracts. Judon has been open about wanting a new deal, but it remains to be seen whether something will get done with either player.
