The Pittsburgh Steelers had an uncharacteristically aggressive offseason in 2025 that was orchestrated by General Manager Omar Khan. The executive upgraded the roster in a lot of areas as he brought in new faces on offense in Aaron Rodgers, DK Metcalf, and Jonnu Smith, who all played a role in Pittsburgh's Week 1 win over the New York Jets. Khan also added Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay to the secondary on defense, and Ramsey made the game-sealing play for the Steelers against the Jets. His moves have already paid dividends, but Khan is not done adding to the roster.
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Pittsburgh Steelers General Manager Omar Khan during 2025 training camp in Latrobe, PA.
Khan made another move on Tuesday morning as he signed free agent safety Jabrill Peppers. Pittsburgh needed some additional depth at safety going into the 2025 season, and DeShon Elliott's injury on Sunday amplified the need at the position. Elliott's injury isn't anything too serious as he was diagnosed with a sprained MCL, but he could miss a game or two as he recovers. Peppers is a good player to fill in for Elliott in the meantime, and he also provides quality depth once Elliott returns.
Peppers is entering his ninth season in the NFL, and he last played for the New England Patriots. He was a starting safety in New England for the last three seasons, but he was released right before the start of the 2025 season. He is still a good player, but there is a new regime in New England that didn't see a future for the safety with the team, which ultimately led to him being released.
The safety was only able to play in six games during the 2024 season due to some off-the-field issues that got him placed on the commissioner's exempt list. In six games, Peppers recorded 40 total tackles, two pass break ups, and a forced fumble.
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Former New England Patriots strong safety Jabrill Peppers smiles during practice.
Peppers spent extensive time in New England, and that could benefit Pittsburgh as the Steelers will travel to New England to play the Patriots in Week 3 of the regular season. It is the first season that New England will be operating under Head Coach Mike Vrabel, but Peppers knows the roster well, and he also spent all of training camp with the team. This means he may be able to provide some valuable insight on the roster, the offensive system, and the defense.
The safety may be best at deciphering holes in New England's defense, but he also got to go against second-year quarterback Drake Maye in practice every day. He knows his weaknesses and how to take advantage of them, and he probably was able to pick up on some trends and patterns within the offense. This should help Pittsburgh in preparing for the Week 3 matchup, which will be a game the Steelers should be able to find a way to win.
Steelers Have Plenty Of Advantages Throughout The 2025 Season
Before Pittsburgh takes on New England in Week 3, the team has its home opener in Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks. Metcalf is going to be a huge storyline heading into the game as he will be taking on his former team, and he will be taking on the cornerbacks he faced every day in practice during his time in Seattle. This could benefit Pittsburgh, as could his knowledge of the offense for the Seahawks, although it looks slightly different from when he was there.
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DK Metcalf walks off of the field after a home game with the Seattle Seahawks.
Another future matchup to circle is when Pittsburgh plays the Green Bay Packers in Week 8. Rodgers will be playing his former team and former head coach, Matt LaFleur, who happens to call the offense for the Packers. The defense for Pittsburgh should be well prepared for this, as Rodgers certainly still knows some wrinkles about what LaFleur likes to do.
What do you think about the addition of Peppers and the benefit it gives Pittsburgh? Let us know in the comments below!
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