The Patriots’ $24-million safety Jabrill Peppers admitted to possessing cocaine ahead of jury selection for a trial on assault charges.

Peppers, 29, appeared in Quincy District Court Thursday morning with his lawyer where he admitted to possessing cocaine. But the Patriots captain still faces charges that he choked and then threw a woman down the stairs.

Defense attorney Marc Brofsky told jurors this morning that Peppers himself will testify.

Braintree Police arrested Peppers after 4 a.m. on a Saturday morning at his address. The woman who accuses Peppers of assault was treated by EMS at the scene and told police that Peppers had “hit her, choked her, took off her clothing and put her outside,” according to the police report.

Peppers allegedly grabbed the woman by the neck and and smashed her head against the wall before throwing her down the stairs of his apartment.

Police say they found a substance they believed to be cocaine in Peppers’ wallet during his arrest. Peppers admitted in court Wednesday that it was indeed cocaine. A possession charge was continued without a finding following Peppers’ confession.

Peppers’ trial was originally scheduled Wednesday, but the court was closed due to a water main break.

“I’m sorry about what happened yesterday. Kind of out of our control,” Judge Mark Coven told the media ahead of bringing potential jurors in. “We weren’t happy about the water main breaking, either.”

Peppers missed seven games since being placed on the commissioner’s exempt list on Oct. 9 following the incident. This prevented him from practicing or playing with the Patriots but allowed NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to place a player on paid leave while reviewing his case. He was removed from the list on Nov. 25 but appeared in only two of the Patriots’ final five games this season because of foot and hamstring injuries. He was placed on injured reserve before the team’s season finale against the Buffalo Bills on Jan. 5.

The league said previously that its review of Peppers’ criminal case is ongoing and was not affected by the change in Peppers’ roster status that allowed him to return to play. His current contract with the Patriots runs through 2027.

— Herald wire services contributed to this report.