Patriots Made Cool Gesture For Matthew Slater Before Potential Last Game

Bill Belichick isn’t the only Patriots legend whose New England tenure might come to a close Sunday.

The Week 18 matchup with the New York Jets could mark Matthew Slater’s final NFL game. Retirement feels like a distinct possibility for the longtime special teams captain, who turned 38 at the start of the campaign and is about to wrap up his 16th season in the league.

Knowing Sunday might be Slater’s swan song, the Patriots found a great way to tip their cap to the franchise icon in the lead-up to the season finale.

“The Patriots played Slater’s favorite music throughout the week at practice in an ode to his career,” ESPN’s Mike Reiss wrote in a column published Sunday. “That included ‘When I Get There’ by Kirk Franklin, ‘We’re Blessed’ by Fred Hammond and his kids’ favorite song, ‘I Got That’ by Anthony Brown. ‘All we listen to at home is gospel music,’ Slater said. ‘I appreciate the guys tolerating my music.'”

A specifically curated playlist might not be the only way the Patriots honor Slater in Week 18. Many expect Belichick and company to draw up some sort of trick play for the 10-time Pro Bowl selection, who is a lock for the organization’s Hall of Fame in the years to come.