Matthew Slater has spent his entire 14-year career with the New England Patriots. He wasn’t going to finish it elsewhere.
The longtime special teams captain on Thursday said he had no desire to explore new opportunities when his Patriots contract expired this week. He re-signed on a fully guaranteed one-year, $2.62 million deal before NFL free agency began.
“I wasn’t going to go anywhere else,” Slater said in his first public comments since the deal was reported. “Not that my services would have been sought-after anywhere else anyways — who knows? But I certainly appreciate the conversations that I had with Coach and where he saw this going, and I’m happy it worked out.”
Slater, who turns 37 in September, did consider retirement after the Patriots’ 2021 season ended with a blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the playoffs. But once he decided to return for another season, it didn’t take him and head coach Bill Belichick long to reach an agreement.
“Without getting into too much detail, (the contract talks) weren’t very difficult,” Slater said. “We’re not negotiating an $80 million contract here. It was nice to have a conversation with Bill about where he saw me, where he saw me moving forward, where I saw myself and what that would look like. I appreciate Coach taking the time to sit down with me and discuss that, and I’ve always appreciated Coach for the opportunity that he’s given me to be a part of this football team. That’s something that I’ve never taken for granted, and I’ve tried to be a good steward of that.
“So for him to want me back here, it really means a lot to me. For me to have a chance to play 15 years in this place — I mean, I never once thought I’d have an opportunity to do that. I was just trying to squeeze on a practice squad when I got here. So it’s been a surreal ride, and thankfully I didn’t lose any more hair — which I don’t have any to lose — during the negotiations.”
Slater is one of the most respected leaders of the Belichick era, serving as a team captain in each of the last 11 seasons. The 10-time Pro Bowler also ranks among the greatest special teams players in NFL history, and he knows Belichick didn’t re-sign him for his leadership qualities alone.
“Well, look, I hope to be a productive, contributing member of this football team,” Slater said. “I know the things that I need to do physically. I know that process is going to be a little different, probably, than it looked 10 years ago. But I don’t think Coach is in the business of keeping around guys just to have a guy to say rah-rah, siss-boom-bah. When the time comes, I think he wants to do the things that I’ve always done over the course of my career, both on the field and off the field, and hopefully I hold up my end of the bargain.”
The Patriots also re-signed veterans Devin McCourty and James White — team captains for the last 11 and four seasons, respectively — ahead of free agency. Slater said he conferred with McCourty before re-upping.
“Absolutely,” he said. “I was joking with him. I said, ‘I’m not coming back unless you’re coming back.’ I realize how special it is to have a chance to play alongside a guy for 13 years, and Devin’s not just anyone. He’s one of the best men I’ve ever known. He’s been a tremendous example for me to follow both on and off the football field, and honestly, at this point in my career, it would be tough playing without him.”
