Patriots star Jabrill Peppers pleaded guilty to cocaine possession on Thursday, as part of the fallout from an Oct. 5 incident that has him facing assault and battery charges.
In admitting that police found what was indeed the illicit drug in his wallet during his arrest, the former Giants safety paved the way for the charge to be cleared, should he finish a four-month probationary period without reoffending.
Peppers, 29, can then get to the litany of other ugly charges he’s staring down in Massachusetts.
He is also accused of strangulation and assault and battery after a woman told police Peppers pushed her head up against a wall, “choked her, and took off her clothing and put her outside.”
The East Orange, N.J., native has pleaded not guilty to those claims, telling cops that the woman — reportedly his girlfriend — had acted “erratic,” had been intoxicated and became enraged when he declined to have unprotected sex with her.
Peppers’ lawyer, Marc Brofsky, stated in October that the evidence in the case “sheds real doubt on the allegations, including videotaped evidence.”
In the aftermath of the incident, Peppers was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list but was able to return to the team in December and resumed his captaincy.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft said the team was looking into the incident, and “if what’s been reported is true, he’s gone, but we want to get the facts.”
Jury selection for the trial began Thursday, postponed after a water main broke at the courthouse on Wednesday.
Peppers finished New England’s underwhelming 4-13 campaign with six starts, one interception and 40 tackles.
The eight-year NFL veteran was taken by the Browns in the first round of 2017 NFL Draft and played two seasons in Cleveland before being traded to the Giants as part of the 2019 Odell Beckham deal.
He joined the Patriots as a free agent in 2022 and inked a three-year, $20 million contract before the 2024 season.
