In October 2024, New England Patriots starting safety Jabrill Peppers was placed on the commissioner's exempt list. What does that mean, and how does it impact Peppers' status for the rest of the 2024 season?
Here are key facts about the NFL commissioner's exempt list.
What is the commissioner's exempt list in the NFL?
The NFL's player personnel manual defines the commissioner's exempt list as "a special player status available to clubs only in unusual circumstances," according to NFL.com. The list is designed to serve as a placeholder and give NFL teams some roster flexibility. The designation prevents a player from counting against a team's active roster limit of 53 players.
How does the commissioner's exempt list work?
The commissioner's exempt list is, in effect, paid leave. While on the list, players are not allowed to play football. Instead, players are permitted to attend meetings, workouts, and receive treatments at the team facility.
Only NFL commissioner Roger Goodell -- not a team -- has the authority to place a player on the exempt list. The commissioner also has the sole authority to determine the length of a player's stint on the exempt list and when that player will return to the active roster.
A player can land on the list for a variety of reasons. It has been used with increasing regularity since 2014, when then-Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson was placed on the list for a full season amid child abuse allegations.
The list in recent years has also included Michael Vick (2009), Jonathan Vilma (2012), Greg Hardy (2014), Josh Brown (2016), Reuben Foster (2018), Kareem Hunt (2018), and CeeDee Lamb (2024).
Why is Jabrill Peppers on the commissioner's exempt list?
Peppers was placed on the commissioner's exempt list after an arrest on charges that, according to police, included strangulation and drug possession. Peppers may not practice or attend games while on the list.
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