Steelers' New Defender Gets Huge Praise From Head Coach Mike Tomlin

The Pittsburgh Steelers came away with a 21-14 win over the New England Patriots in Week 3 of the NFL season to improve to 2-1. It wasn't necessarily a pretty game for the Steelers, but it was a win nonetheless. The Pittsburgh defense led the way, holding New England to 14 points, sacking Drake Maye five times, and creating five turnovers. Although the Steelers allowed nearly 400 yards of total offense, Head Coach Mike Tomlin was pleased with one of the newest members of the Pittsburgh defense. 

The Steelers signed Jabrill Peppers following the Week 1 injury to DeShon Elliott in an attempt to add some depth to the depleted Steelers secondary. Peppers played a limited role in his Steelers debut in Week 2, mainly contributing on special teams, but Peppers saw a significant amount of defensive snaps in Sunday's win against the Patriots. 

Peppers tallied six total tackles, and he also recovered a fumble, helping a Steelers defensive unit that struggled mightily in the first two weeks of the season. Peppers was released by New England just before the beginning of the regular season, so this win not only meant a lot to the Steelers, but to Peppers on a personal level. 

In his postgame press conference, Tomlin praised Peppers for his big performance against his former team.

"I thought he played with great energy and communication," Tomlin said. "For a guy that is new, his level of communication is unique in terms of adjustments and so forth. He is a veteran, he's got a good passion for the game, good relationship with the game. It's certainly good to win."

Through the first two weeks of the season, several Steelers defenders mentioned that the lack of communication on the field had been an issue, contributing to the big plays they gave up. Bringing in Peppers seemed to have helped patch that hole. For someone who has only been in Pittsburgh for a couple of weeks, to already be taking charge and talking through adjustments on the field says a lot about his experience and leadership.

It likely made him a prime candidate for what has become one of Tomlin’s more entertaining traditions: the “petty game ball.” Tomlin made headlines in 2024 when he handed out a "petty game ball" to quarterback Russell Wilson after a win over Wilson’s former team, the Denver Broncos. With Peppers delivering against the team that let him go, it wouldn’t be surprising at all if Tomlin handed the defender Week 3's petty game ball.

Steelers' Aaron Rodgers Relates To Jabrill Peppers Following Win

Another Steelers who knows a thing or two about facing his former team is quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers was the assumed winner of a petty game ball following his Week 1 performance against his former team, the New York Jets. When asked in his postgame press conference about Peppers' performance, Rodgers added more high praise for the defender.

"When you're playing former teams, that's what you want [to make an impact], you want to make a big play and make them think about what they lost," Rodgers said. "He [Peppers] was definitely happy in the locker room."

To return to Foxborough and help lead the Steelers to a much-needed win against his former team while making some impact plays in the process, certainly has to feel good for Peppers. 

At the end of the day, the Steelers didn’t play a perfect game. But when you can lean on your defense to create five turnovers, and when a newcomer like Peppers can step in and shine against his old team, it’s the kind of win that can spark momentum. And for Pittsburgh, sitting at 2-1, momentum is exactly what they need heading deeper into the season.