Brandon Beane should pick up the phone: A familiar face just became available, and the Bills should absolutely be calling
Things are heating up.
Heading into their Week 1 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens on Sept. 7, the Buffalo Bills have a big ol’ question mark at safety. That’s not to say the team doesn’t have its starters in Cole Bishop and Taylor Rapp, but the depth in the room, along with Bishop’s lack of reps due to injuries, has many wondering if the team will bring in some help to bolster that unit. Well, former New England Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers just became available, and general manager Brandon Beane should absolutely be picking up the phone to see what it takes to bring him to Buffalo. If nothing else, Peppers’ addition would add some key depth in a room from a player who has experience both as a safety and on special teams.
Peppers’ history against the Bills
In three games against the Buffalo Bills from 2019 to 2024, Peppers has 19 total tackles with one pass defended and an interception to boot. He was unable to play in one of the 2023 contests as he was dealing with a hamstring injury. In Oct. 2024, he was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list following an arrest and was later reinstated in Nov. 2024. He missed multiple games while on the exempt list and in the final stretch of the season while dealing with a hamstring injury.
A new defensive scheme under head coach Mike Vrabel and defensive coordinator Terrell Williams played a factor in Peppers’ release. After signing a three-year, $24 million extension with the team in July of 2024, he was released in Aug. 2025. While initially set to be one of the team’s starting safeties, he finds himself the odd man out in the group, and Buffalo could be the beneficiary.
McDermott and the team are still looking
It’s no secret that Buffalo is trying to bolster their safety unit. After the team’s blowout loss to the Chicago Bears in preseason Week 2, Sean McDermott opened up to the media before the team’s next practice and offered that they may not be done adding to the safety room.
“We’re looking for that safety to play alongside Taylor Rapp,” McDermott said.
Well, if the team is looking, Peppers absolutely fills the mold. Adam Schefter broke the news that the veteran safety would be available, and what immediately followed was social media being flooded with highlights from Peppers. Most notably, during a contest in 2023 against the Las Vegas Raiders, Peppers exploded to the ball with a bone-crushing hit that resulted in a turnover for the Patriots.
Peppers’ career at a glance
Outside of being an obvious help at safety, Peppers has shown that he can handle his fair share of special teams snaps. While his later career has focused more predominantly on safety, according to Pro Football Focus, he has 34 kick returns for 749 yards and 87 punt returns for 719 yards, but has been unable to find the end zone in either situation. His kick returns died after his first season with the New York Giants in 2019, and for punts, the most recent return dates back to the 2023 season with the New England Patriots. Nevertheless, it’s a skill set that could just be yet another reason to bring him in.
Throughout his NFL career, Peppers has been on the field for a total of 959 special teams snaps (186 kick return, 146 kick coverage, 292 punt return, 190 punt coverage, and 145 in field-goal block) that have resulted in 10 tackles, eight assisted tackles, and three missed tackles.
For defense, he’s been on the field for 5,142 defensive snaps (2,064 in rush defense, 264 in pass rush, and 2,814 dropping back into coverage) with a total of 551 combined tackles, 30 tackles for loss, 15 QB hits, five and a half sacks, 35 passes defended, and seven interceptions in 85 games started through 99 total games.
Bills could get it done with Pats paying big bucks
A nice little bonus was provided by Kyle Crabbs from A To Z Sports, who opened up about Peppers’ release and what it means for New England moving forward. A potential win for Buffalo when discussing the cap restrictions that might be in play for Peppers.
“The Patriots should see kickback in the form of offset money for whatever team signs Peppers to their roster, but with that much in guarantees on New England’s books, the rest of the NFL is almost certainly going to look to appeal to Peppers in the form of ‘fit’ and try to negotiate a one-year deal for minimum salary. This would force the Patriots to pay off the majority of his salary balance and, effectively, have New England paying Peppers to play elsewhere this season.“
He’d be a worthy addition and a versatile player in multiple aspects of the game, which is exactly the type of player that McDermott has preached throughout the offseason. Beane should be picking up the phone and seeing what it takes to bring in Peppers.
I will say, though, every time I publish an article like this, a player is taken from another team just moments later. It’s super not fun, and hoping it doesn’t happen again. Regardless, a safety with special teams skills has become available for dirt cheap, and we’re hoping his phone starts ringing with a 716 area code on the other side of the line.
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