It’s the end of an era in New England.
Longtime New England Patriots special teams ace and team captain Matthew Slater announced his retirement from the NFL on Tuesday in an essay he penned for the team’s website.
He thoughtfully saluted his father, Pro Football Hall of Fame offensive tackle Jackie Slater, as a longtime inspiration, dating back to summers spent in Meridian, Miss., as a youth.
“For the last 25 years of my life, 16 of them as a New England Patriot, I have been incredibly blessed to be able to emulate the man I saw on those fields in Meridian by playing the game that I love so much,” Slater wrote. “I have given all that I possibly can to respect and honor the game. Though it is time for my relationship with the game to evolve, the love I have for it will last a lifetime.”
The team also posted Slater’s heartfelt message, in which he thanks his own family, the Patriots organization, former coach Bill Belichick and countless others, on social media.
A message from Matthew Slater. pic.twitter.com/diVYMtAapu
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) February 20, 2024
Slater, a former fifth-round draft pick, built a reputation as one of the greatest special teams contributors ever, earning 10 Pro Bowl nods while establishing himself as one of the most respected voices in the Patriots locker room since entering the league in 2008.
“Matthew Slater deserves every accolade someone could receive. He is a once in a lifetime person, and the best core special teams player in NFL history,” Belichick said in a statement, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. “His daily, weekly, and yearly work ethic, paved the way for his unsurpassed performance. Matthew is the finest example of what an intense competitor and human being should be. He has been a great role model for the teams players & coaches) that I have coached. Matthew is exceedingly kind, and supremely loved and respected by all his peers. I am one of many who feel incredibly blessed to be his teammate, coach, and friend.”
Slater appeared in 239 regular-season games in his 16 NFL seasons and won three Super Bowls with New England.
THANK YOU SLATE ❤️???? pic.twitter.com/DXOHMqYVf9
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) February 20, 2024
