Chicago Bears
Julius Peppers - #90 - DE
| Status | Active |
| Height/Weight | 6' 7"/ 287 lbs. |
| Birthday | 01/18/1980 |
| Birthplace | Wilson, NC |
| College | North Carolina |
| Years played | 12 |
| Drafted | 2002, 1st round, 2nd pick by Panthers |
2012 STATS
| Tack | FF | Int |
|---|---|---|
| 39 | 1 | 0 |
Did Julius Peppers earn his paycheck in Week 14?
Julius Peppers may have earned his money, but it didn't make much of a difference in the loss to New England.
Bears MVP Meter: Week 14
After going back-to-back games without an interception, Bears QB Jay Cutler was picked off twice against the Patriots and is well behind Julius Peppers and Brian Urlacher in the race to become the team's MVP.
Bears players of the week
Devin Hester's 61-yard kickoff return was one of the few bright spots for the Bears in Week 14.
Patriots-Bears matchup of the day: Tuesday
For the Bears' cover-2 defense to be effective against the Patriots, Julius Peppers and Israel Idonije need to get into the backfield and disrupt QB Tom Brady's rhythm.
Did Julius Peppers earn his paycheck in Week 13?
His final stats weren't all that impressive — four tackles, one sack — but Julius Peppers did his job well on Sunday.
Bears MVP Meter: Week 13
Jay Cutler has been more efficient of late, firming up his standing on the Bears' MVP Meter.
Three-and-out with Bears play-by-play announcer Jeff Joniak
PFW caught up with Bears play-by-play announcer Jeff Joniak earlier this week to get his take on several topics, including who stands out as the MVP of Chicago's defense.
NFL announces players, rookies of the month
The NFL announced their offensive and defensive players and rookies of the month for November on Thursday.
Bears-Lions matchup of the day: Wednesday
Aside from the play where Julius Peppers beat Jeff Backus and sacked QB Matthew Stafford, separating his right shoulder, Backus did a pretty good job in pass protection against Peppers in Week One.
Bears DE Peppers named NFC Defensive Player of the Month
Bears DE Julius Peppers had been named the NFC Defensive Player of the Month.
Did Julius Peppers earn his paycheck in Week 12?
Julius Peppers showcased his versatile skills against the Eagles and kept himself in the running for Defensive Player of the Year honors.
Bears MVP Meter: Week 12
Julius Peppers and Brian Urlacher are battling for the top spot on the MVP Meter, and Jay Cutler could be making a late-season surge.
Bears players of the week
Jay Cutler's four-touchdown performance against the Eagles earned him Offensive Player of the Week honors in Week 12.
Peppers, L.T. top free-agent pickups
For this week's NFList, we polled the PFW staff to determine who were the best free-agent acquisitions of 2010. Topping the list is Bears DE Julius Peppers, the highest-priced signee of all.
Five questions with PFW publisher Hub Arkush
This week, Hub Arkush tells us where he thinks Brian Urlacher fits on the list of the franchise's best linebackers and says the Bears need to make a strong effort to re-sign C Olin Kreutz after the season.
PLAYER NEWS
Peppers is going to the Pro Bowl. The Bears said Monday that Peppers had been added to the roster for Sunday's game in Hawaii, replacing Jason Pierre-Paul of the Super Bowl-bound New York Giants. It will be Peppers' seventh appearance in the all-star game.|||||||
Peppers had 27 tackles, 11 sacks, five tackles for losses, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries this season. The 10-year NFL veteran has reached double-digit sacks in seven seasons. Five other Bears were named to the Pro Bowl: linebackers Lance Briggs and Brian Urlacher, running back Matt Forte and defensive backs Corey Graham and Charles Tillman.
Peppers is starting for the Chicago Bears against the Minnesota Vikings after being listed as doubtful because of a sprained left knee.|||||||
Peppers was injured in Monday's loss at Detroit and did not practice all week.
The Chicago Bears hope to have Pro Bowl defensive end Julius Peppers available this week against Minnesota after he mildly sprained his left knee. Peppers was injured in the first half of Monday's loss at Detroit and briefly left the game.|||||||
Coach Lovie Smith says the knee was "still sore" Wednesday, but he will "hopefully" be able to practice Friday and play this week.
The Chicago Bears have restructured Peppers' contract to create more salary-cap room for next season.|||||||
Peppers signed a six-year deal worth potentially $91.5 million a year ago, was due a $10.5 million roster bonus for next season. Instead, the team exercised its right to convert that money into a signing bonus and prorate it over the remaining years of his contract, which runs through the 2015 season. That saves roughly $8 million in cap space for next season, giving the Bears more room to bring in free agents and retain their own.
Peppers has some steep competition Sunday in his return to Carolina. The 6-foot-4, 305-pound Jordan Gross is a 2008 Pro Bowl pick, anchoring an offensive line that last season allowed DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart to become the first teammates to each rush for over 1,100 yards.|||||||
There will be few surprises when they meet on Sunday. Gross has seen all of Peppers' moves and Peppers knows Gross' strengths and weaknesses. "Me and Jordan, we helped each other grow as players a lot," Peppers said, "practicing against each other and having those training camp battles."
