A Quincy District Court jury found New England Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers not guilty of domestic violence charges on Friday.

Prosecutors had accused the 29-year-old of assault, strangulation, and throwing his girlfriend down a staircase in October 2024. However, after deliberating for less than two hours, the jury cleared him of all charges.

Peppers took the stand to defend himself, vehemently denying the accusations. “I never slammed her into the wall,” Peppers said. “I never grabbed her by the neck, and I never pushed her down the stairs.”

His defense attorney, Marc Brofsky, argued that the woman, Sharline Jimenez, made up the story, pointing out that she had filed a $9.5 million civil lawsuit against Peppers.

Brofsky also cast doubt on Jimenez’s claims, questioning if she could even remember the details of her injuries.

After the trial, Peppers talked about how the case affected his career and reputation. “I think it hurt my reputation,” he said.

“It was a long three months for me. I lost a lot of my season to this. I couldn’t be a part of the team.”

Peppers also shared some advice for anyone who might find themselves in a similar situation. “I encourage every man or woman who has something to lose, if you ever find yourself in a situation like I was in, you have to record it because that might be the only thing that saves you,” he said.

“To me, crimes against children and women are the most egregious things that you can do. And to be accused of that, it just, it just hurt.”

The Patriots star also thanked those who stood by him during the case. He wrote on X , formerly Twitter, “What people choose to believe about you is indicative of how they feel about you.

I needed that reminder! To those who believed in me and knew I would never do what I was accused of doing to a woman, thank you. Those who believed the accusations without any evidence, thank you too.”

Along with the domestic violence charges, Peppers pled guilty to a cocaine possession charge, admitting that police found a white powdery substance in his wallet during his arrest. As part of the plea, he agreed to stay drug-free for four months.

The NFL placed Peppers on the exempt list after his arrest, keeping him out for seven games during the 2024 season.

He came back in December and played in two games before the season ended. Jabrill Peppers, who joined the Patriots in 2022 after playing with the Cleveland Browns and New York Giants, signed a three-year contract extension with the team in 2024.

The deal could be worth up to $30 million.