Jerod Mayo Makes Strong Statement Regarding Jabrill Peppers Arrest
Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers was placed on the Commissioner Exempt List, the NFL announced Wednesday.
Peppers, who may not practice or attend games until he is removed, technically is allowed around the team.
New England head coach Jerod Mayo won’t be having any of that, however, making a rather definitive statement regarding the 29-year-old’s status with the team Wednesday.
“I just want to be clear — any act of domestic violence is unacceptable for us as a team, whether you’re a player, staff member,” Mayo said, per team-provided video. “We’re wholeheartedly against any type of domestic violence. I know the organization’s position, which I fully support, but with that being said, I do think that Jabrill has to continue to go through due process.
“We’ll see how that works out. The league has put him on the exempt list, and that will give us time to gather more information going forward. He is not in the building and we’ll talk about that at a later time, but as a father of three daughters, I definitely understand the seriousness of the allegations and hopefully they’re not true.”
Mayo confirmed that Peppers will not be in the building until the legal proceedings are worked out.
Peppers was arrested Saturday morning following an altercation between him and his girlfriend, according to court files. The 29-year-old faces charges including assault and battery, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, strangulation and possession of cocaine, and he pleaded not guilty when he appeared in Quincy District Court on Monday. Peppers informed Mayo of the incident Saturday morning, leading to the Patriots releasing a statement regarding the allegations and ruling the veteran safety out with a shoulder injury prior to Sunday’s loss to the Miami Dolphins at Gillette Stadium.
The Patriots safety’s next hearing is scheduled for Nov. 22, so it can be expected he remains on the list until then. The NFL often doesn’t issue punishment or remove players from the list until the legal process is complete, which could take months, so it’s safe to say it will be a while before Peppers suits up for New England again — if ever.