FOXBOROUGH - Brian Belichick didn’t hide or couch his feelings about having Jabrill Peppers back with the team, working toward a return. The Patriots safeties coach was happy to see Peppers, who was removed from the Commissioner’s Exempt List earlier in the week, back in the mix.

Peppers was removed from the commissioner’s exempt list on Monday and returned to practice Tuesday for the first time since he pleaded not guilty on assault, strangulation and drug charges in October. His first practice back was a walk-through in the Patriots’ practice bubble.