Patriots' Jabrill Peppers removed from NFL's commissioner's exempt list

BOSTON — New England Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers was removed from the NFL’s commissioner’s exempt list, the league announced Monday.

Peppers was placed on the list on Oct. 9, four days after being arrested and pleading not guilty on assault, strangulation and drug charges. Peppers is scheduled to go to trial on Jan. 22.

Peppers missed seven games on the commissioner’s exempt list. He also missed a game the night after he was arrested before he was placed on the exempt list. Now removed, he’s once again eligible to “participate in all team activities, including playing in games,” per the league.

“In accordance with the Personal Conduct Policy, the league initiated a preliminary investigation into an incident from early October,” the NFL said in a statement released Monday. “That review will remain ongoing and is not affected by this change in Peppers’ roster status.”

The Patriots released the following statement on Peppers:

“The league has removed Jabrill Peppers from the commissioner’s exempt list. After missing the past seven games, he will now return to the active roster. We understand that the league’s investigation into the matter will continue, as will the legal process. We will await the outcome of both before making any further comment.”

Per a league source, the reason Peppers was removed from the commissioner’s exempt list was because the baseline suspension for a violation of the personal conduct policy involving the actions for which he’s accused is six games. He’s already missed seven games.

If Peppers had remained on the exempt list through his January court date, he would have missed a total of 12 games.

The NFL may still impose discipline at the end of the process if evidence is found that demonstrates Peppers violated the personal conduct policy.

The NFL has the ability to return a player to duty as a result of its preliminary investigation. The league made the decision to remove him from the exempt list after missing seven games as it continues to monitor the criminal case against him.

The NFL will look to conclude its investigation once there has been a disposition.

Peppers posted a picture on Instagram on Monday afternoon with the caption, “Smile through it all, it’s gon be alright!”

Peppers faces charges of assault and battery, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, strangulation, and possession of a class “B” substance.

Braintree police arrived at a residential address around 4:15 a.m. Oct. 5 after receiving a disturbance call that described an altercation between two people. Following an investigation, Peppers was arrested, and police say “the victim was treated by E.M.S. at the scene.” The substance in question was discovered in Peppers’ wallet and believed to be cocaine, according to authorities.

Peppers’ attorney, Marc Brofsky, claimed Friday at a court appearance that video evidence from the night of the incident shows the plaintiff didn’t have injuries to their face and the crimes Peppers is accused of “didn’t happen,” per MassLive.

“You made a very compelling case, but I’m sure there’s another side,” Judge Mark Coven said Friday. “That’s why we have trials, and then we let jurors decide whether the Commonwealth has proved this case beyond a reasonable doubt or not.”

Brofsky said in court Friday that the person accusing Peppers of assault demanded $10.5 million from the Patriots safety.

“It technically may not be extortion but is highly probative and tells you what this case is all about,” Brofsky said, via ESPN.

Attorneys for the plaintiff, Douglas H. Wigdor and David E. Gottlieb, released a statement Friday denying they asked for that amount.

“We can confirm that Mr. Peppers’ lawyer asked us to meet to discuss a potential settlement and asked us to convey a settlement proposal,” Wigdor and Gottlieb said in a statement. “We presented a proposal that included an apology from Mr. Peppers, a financial contribution to a domestic abuse support organization, a commitment by Mr. Peppers to undergo intensive counseling and a monetary payment for our client’s pain and suffering. We did not present a proposal of $10.5 million to avoid a civil lawsuit and the civil lawsuit does not seek any particular amount other than what a jury decides to award.”

Patriots safeties Jaylinn Hawkins, Marte Mapu and Dell Pettus have taken on bigger roles with Peppers out. The 3-9 Patriots have gone 2-6 without Peppers in their defense.

“I just want to be clear that really any act of domestic violence is unacceptable for us,” head coach Jerod Mayo said in October. “As a team, no matter if you’re a player, staff member, we’re wholeheartedly against any type of domestic violence. I know the organization’s position, which I fully support. With that being said, I do think that Jabrill has to go through the system, has to continue to go through a due process, and we’ll see how that works out. … As a father of three daughters, I definitely understand the seriousness of the allegations, and hopefully, they’re not true. But we’ll see. Like I said earlier, we’ll go through that due process.”

____