FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — On Monday, the NFL officially lifted Jabrill Peppers, the safety for the New England Patriots, off the commissioner’s exempt list, thus allowing him to return to practice and participate in games for the remainder of the season.

Peppers had been sidelined for seven games after being placed on the exempt list on October 9. This decision followed his arrest, where he faced accusations of violently assaulting his girlfriend by shoving her head into a wall and choking her. While he is now eligible to rejoin his team, the league stated that its investigation into the incident is still ongoing and not affected by this roster adjustment.

According to the Braintree police department in Massachusetts, authorities responded to a domestic disturbance on October 7. Upon arrival, a woman alleged that Peppers had choked her. During their investigation at the residence, officers discovered a clear plastic bag containing a white powder, which later tested positive for cocaine.

At the Quincy District Court, Peppers, who is 29 years old, pleaded not guilty to the charges that include assault and battery with a dangerous weapon as well as possession of a controlled substance classified as a Class “B” drug, believed to be cocaine. A trial date has been scheduled for January 22 during his most recent court appearance.

Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo publicly expressed his stance on domestic violence following Peppers’ arrest, stating, “Any act of domestic violence is unacceptable for us. With that being said, I do think Jabrill has to go through the system, has to continue to go through due process. We’ll see how that works out.”

Originally drafted in the first round by the Cleveland Browns in 2017, Peppers played two seasons with the Browns and three seasons with the New York Giants prior to joining the Patriots in 2022. He received a contract extension earlier this summer.

This season, Peppers participated in the first four games before suffering a shoulder injury and subsequently being placed on the exempt list, which allows NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to assign a player to paid leave while the league reviews the case.