New England Patriots long-time special teams ace and captain Matthew Slater has spent time calling and getting advice from former Patriots players on his future after football.
Retirement isn’t a certainty, but there’s a chance Slater could be playing in the final game of his career on Sunday.
So he is reaching out to former teammates, like Devin McCourty, Jerod Mayo and even former legendary quarterback Tom Brady for advice. When speaking with the media, Slater offered a little insight into some of his conversations, as transcribed by NESN.com’s Zack Cox.
“I’ve spoken with all those guys about crossing over, so to speak, and what that experience was like for them,” Slater said. “I think all three of them were in pretty unique positions. Tom probably feels like he can still play to this day. Jerod obviously had his injuries, and then Devin made his decision last year. But it’s been helpful. It’s been helpful to talk to those guys about their experience, take their feedback.”
Slater began his career with the Patriots in 2008 and has served as a cornerstone of the special teams unit ever since. He’s been named to 10 Pro Bowls, as well as the Patriots’ All-Dynasty team.
In addition to those accolades, he was also a big part of three Patriots Super Bowls.
The good news for Patriots fans is Slater has at least one more game to play this Sunday against the New York Jets. One has to wonder if this will be the final time we see him on a football field.
