Peppers don’t like wet feet. It looks like it’s buried in a bit of a pit. Is the potting soil level below the natural land contour?

And is it cold there at all? We have had a bit of a cold snap here in 6a. I wouldn’t dream of having peppers out yet but you may be farther south. Last year, I put them out 10 days later than I usually do, and they did better than ever before. I think peppers really just despise the cold. If you have 10 gallon aquariums, you can use them as cloches. (Like a small greenhouse)