A pillar of the Patriots dynasty is calling it a career.
Matthew Slater on Tuesday morning announced his NFL retirement after 16 seasons, all spent in New England. Slater leaves the game a 10-time Pro Bowl selection, five-time first-team All-Pro, three-time Super Bowl champion and one of the best special teams players to ever set foot on a football field.
Slater played 75% of his legendary Patriots tenure alongside another all-time great who is a lock for the franchise’s Hall of Fame: Tom Brady. Mere minutes after New England’s official social media channels released Slater’s retirement announcement, Brady attached a fitting label to his former teammate.
“One of a kind, Brady wrote in an Instagram comment section, coupled with six heart emojis.
Brady was one of the former Patriots whom Slater consulted as his final season in New England wound down. The longtime team captain acknowledged the “huge impact” the iconic quarterback had on his life and noted how he has a lot to learn from Brady as he embarks on his next chapter.
It’s only a matter of time before Brady and Slater both don red jackets to symbolize their statuses as two of the best players in Patriots history. And when you consider how much Slater excelled at his position for nearly two decades, he might even be bound for a gold bust in Canton, Ohio like Brady.
