Steelers sign Jabrill Peppers to bolster secondary

The Pittsburgh Steelers signed veteran safety Jabrill Peppers on Tuesday to shore up a secondary hit by injury, agreeing to terms after their Week 1 victory over the New York Jets, NFL Network and other outlets reported. The move comes a little over a week after Peppers was released by the New England Patriots and after the Steelers’ starting safety, DeShon Elliott, suffered a knee injury in the opener.

Peppers, 29, will join a Pittsburgh defense that allowed 182 rushing yards in the 34-32 win over the Jets, including a 103-yard effort by Breece Hall, and that also yielded 218 passing yards on 16-of-22 attempts, according to game accounts. The Steelers are expected to add Peppers’ physicality and run-support ability to address those shortcomings while Elliott recovers from what has been reported as an MCL sprain that could sideline him for several weeks with a target return around Week 4.

The signing reunites Peppers with the AFC after a turbulent close to his tenure in New England. The Patriots cut Peppers on Aug. 29 after three seasons in Foxborough, moving on less than a year after signing him to a three-year, $24 million extension. Peppers began the 2024 season as a starter...