Longtime Patriots captain reveals offseason retirement thoughts
Matthew Slater said Tuesday that he's been considering retirement for the "last few years" and realizes that his historical career as a special teams ace is "very, very close to the end."
New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick recently named the 37-year-old special teamer as one of the three best players he's ever coached, joining former quarterback Tom Brady and Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor. Brady is a lock for enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, while Slater may join him eventually someday as well.
The son of Hall of Fame tackle Jackie Slater was selected by New England in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft and, with 15 seasons under Belichick, is the longest-tenured player in the organization. The younger Slater is a 10-time Pro Bowl special teamer (an NFL record) and has been a co-captain of the Patriots since 2011.
In addition to Brady's 2022 and 2023 retirements, former New England All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski retired twice, first following the 2018 season — his ninth and final year with the Patriots — and then again in June 2022. New England fans have also recently said goodbye to franchise icons like running back James White (who retired in August 2022) and cornerback Devin McCourty (who called it quits in March 2023).
Slater, who's won three Super Bowls with the Patriots, said Tuesday afternoon that he's surpassed the original goal he set for himself when he first made the NFL by a wide margin.
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