Matthew Slater, who many view as the beating heart of the New England Patriots, officially announced his retirement in a social media post on Tuesday.
The writing was on the wall for the legendary special teamer in the Patriots’ 2023 regular season finale against the New York Jets. An emotional Slater could be seen embracing teammates, coaches, owner Robert Kraft and family members before taking the field for what would be the final game of his illustrious 16-year career.
What an incredible run it has been for a player former Patriots coach Bill Belichick once referred to as the greatest special teams player of all time.
A message from Matthew Slater. pic.twitter.com/diVYMtAapu
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) February 20, 2024
Slater has a Hall of Fame resume, and it would be shameful if he isn’t permanently enshrined in Canton someday. He’s a three-time Super Bowl champion with 10 Pro Bowl and eight All-Pro nods over the course of his career.
However, the Patriots will miss more than just the elite level of play he put on the field every week. They’ll also miss one of the NFL’s all-time great leaders and the “Aww Yeah” locker room breakdowns that helped fuel and spark the second-half of the greatest dynasty in NFL history.
