Matthew slater, the captain of the new england patriots special teams, announced his retirement on tuesday after 16 seasons. With ten pro bowl selections, the three-time super bowl champion holds the nfl record for special teams players. From 2008-23, slater, 38, played in 264 games for the patriots, second only to tom brady (326). In a long post on social media, he said, “i have given all that i can to respect and honor the game.” “though it is time for my relationship with the game to change, the love i have for it will last a lifetime.” Slater was drafted in the fifth round in 2008 and made a mark on special teams.
Between 2008 and 2016, he served as a kick returner on and off, accumulating 191 tackles in kick and punt coverage. “i came here as a young man with hopes and dreams in 2008,” slater wrote. “i can retire in 2024 knowing that this journey has surpassed every hope or desire i ever had.”
