Jerod Mayo takes strong stance on Jabrill Peppers after safety is placed on exempt list

On-field contributions aside, New England Patriots safety Jabril Peppers (and all players) must be held accountable for his actions outside of football. The safety is reportedly "facing charging assault, strangulation and drug possession." Amid the legal troubles, he's been placed on the Commissioner Exempt List, meaning he can't practice with the team or attend games.

While Peppers remains away from the Patriots during ostensibly trying times, others within the organization have spoken about the matter. Among those is New England head coach Jerod Mayo, who began his Wednesday press conference by transparently addressing the topic.

Mayo kicked things off by openly and adamantly condemning Peppers' behavior:

"Just to start off, on Jabrill [Peppers], I just want to be clear that really any act of domestic violence is unacceptable for [the Patriots]."

However, Mayo also shared his thoughts from a coach and parent's perspective, expressing concern for Peppers and his family. Furthermore, the former suggested letting the justice system run its course before jumping to conclusions is the best approach to the ongoing situation.

Jerod Mayo denounces Jabrill Peppers' actions after safety gets placed on Commissioner's Exempt List

"With that being said, I do think that Jabrill has to go through the system ... and we'll see how that works out," Mayo stated. "At this time, he is not in the building. He's not in the building, and we'll talk about that at a later time. As a father of three daughters, I definitely understand the seriousness of the allegations, and hopefully, they're not true. But we'll see."

Despite the limitations of being on paid leave, Peppers is eligible to be with the Patriots physically. So, as a follow-up question, Mayo was asked whether the defensive back will eventually return to the fold.

"I would say in the near term, [Peppers] will not be in the building," Mayo replied.

Peppers, 29, recently got arrested stemming from a home disturbance call incident in Braintree, Mass. The person who contacted the authorities noted a dispute between two individuals, according to police.

The victim, Peppers' girlfriend, informed law enforcement that the eight-year NFL veteran "hit, choked her, took off her clothes and put her outside." Moreover, she said her boyfriend "smashed" her head against the wall and shoved her down a set of steps.

Troubling news like this is a lot for anyone to manage, let alone a first-year sideline general like Mayo. Moreover, the Patriots signed Peppers to a three-year, $24 million contract extension this summer, complicating everything even more. Nonetheless, New England will be without one of their best players indefinitely.