Jul 28, 2025; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry (85) speaks to the media after training camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Patriots Veteran Speaks Out on Surprising Roster Cut

Originally posted on New England Patriots on SI
By Jared Koch | Last updated Sep 4, 2025 1:00 PM ET

The New England Patriots made a surprise roster move in the days ahead of the start of their 2025 regular season in the form of cutting ties with veteran safety Jabrill Peppers.

After three seasons of being in Foxboro, the Patriots had opted to release Peppers to free agency in the days following their official 53-man cutdown date, seemingly transitioning to a new scheme for the back-end of their secondary, and rolling with a new tandem at safety, headlined by veteran Jaylinn Hawkins and rookie Craig Woodson.

And for those who have been in the building for some time now, like tight end and newly-named team captain Hunter Henry, it's clear he valued Peppers' presence in the room throughout the three years the two were on the roster together, crediting him as both a great teammate and competitor.

"This is a tough business sometimes, and it's hard," Henry said of Peppers in a recent interview with WEEI. "You play with a lot of guys, and they go in different directions. Pep is a tremendous player, man. It was an honor to suit up with him every single Sunday. I think Coach addressed all of the business side of things, but just as a teammate, man, he was great. Enjoyed my time with him, for sure. He's a tremendous competitor."

Peppers had spent the prior three seasons in New England, playing in 38 total games for the franchise and being one of their more productive safeties throughout that stretch. However, for the first year of the Mike Vrabel era, the Patriots have turned the page to a new look at safety.

Henry said he found out about the news surrounding Peppers just as linebacker Christian Elliss did: reading about the release before hearing official word from the team. When asked if he was shocked about the move, there was one major takeaway: it's simply just a tough business, and tough decisions have to be made.

"Look, this is one of the toughest businesses in the world, man. It really is," Henry continued. "There's a lot of hard decisions being made. Coach addressed all of that stuff [Tuesday]... But, Pep, like I said, was a tremendous teammate, competitor, a guy that I enjoyed being around. I wish him the best, for sure, but as far as all of the decisions and all that stuff, you can ask [Mike Vrabel] questions about that one."

As always with the NFL, it's a business first, and sometimes, players get hit with that tough reality, even when it's not expected. Peppers is just the latest to fall into that trend, with the 29-year-old now searching for a new home days before the season's kickofff, while New England moves forward with a notable shift on the defensive side.

This article first appeared on New England Patriots on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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