He shined during his first year with the team last year, resulting in Mike Vrabel opting to keep him around to join his new staff. It looked like the third unit would not be one to worry about for the first time in some years, especially for returns now that they appeared to have found some quality players to fill that role.
The 29-year-old former Patriots captain was released by New England in a surprising move on cutdown day last month. Peppers had just signed a contract extension with the team last year. "It is what it is, sometimes you're not good enough," Peppers said in a video posted to YouTube by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "You play a long time in this league, you know, you're going to get traded or cut."
A lot went wrong for Mike Vrabel and the Patriots in their season-opening loss to the Raiders on Sunday at Gillette Stadium. After a promising first half, Drake Maye and the Patriots' offense flatlined down the stretch - punting or turning the ball over on six of the team's final seven drives of the afternoon. New England's defense did only allow 20 points, but Geno Smith and the Raiders still managed to generate
Throughout training camp, the Patriots were fortunate to have a legitimate competition between their two kickers, one of whom, Andres Borregales, they used a sixth-round draft selection on earlier this year. The other, Parker Romo, was a member of the 2024 squad and brought a tough battle to the widely considered best kicking prospect of the 2025 class. That meant it took all the way until roster cutdowns for Mike Vrabel and Co. to ultimately decide who would fill the role this year.
As roster cuts are underway and teams are preparing to finalize their 53-man team for the 2025 season, the Patriots are inevitably going to look at those who are hitting the free agent market to see if anyone can boost their team further. They have a few vulnerable positions to focus on, as many don't have a lot of depth, and the offense could become the focus.
Throughout the offseason, there have been questions about the Patriots' quarterback room behind Drake Maye for various reasons. Some analysts and fans were intrigued by the addition of veteran Joshua Dobbs, while others weren't sure about the value he brought to the roster or Maye's development. The same could be said about Ben Wooldridge, but he was released not long after his lackluster performance against the Giants last week in the preseason finale.
Belichick is showcasing Patriots greats to his players in UNC, limiting his radio appearances to emphasize a focused coaching approach and maintain a brand of minimal media interaction.
