Matthew Slater served as the special teams ace across the 16 seasons of his NFL career with the New England Patriots prior to his retirement this offseason.
The UCLA product helped the Patriots win three Super Bowl championships during his career, most notably powering New England as a captain and one of the locker room’s most respected voices.
Slater signed five contracts with the Patriots, including before the 2018 season, during his career. Those deals occasionally came with uncertainty, to the point that the veteran considered taking his talents elsewhere.
In an appearance on former teammate Julian Edelman’s “Games with Names” podcast, Slater revealed he nearly signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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“I almost left,” Slater shared. “They were trying to hardball me in negotiations. I almost had to get out of there. I almost had to pull the emergency chute and get out of there.”
Slater admitted that head coach Bill Belichick called him during his travels to ultimately convince the captain to return to New England and continue his career with the Patriots.
“I got the call in the airport,” Slater added. “Needless to say, I signed back.”
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Following the deal, Slater played six more seasons and helped the Patriots win another Super Bowl over the Los Angeles Rams.
Featured image via David Butler II/USA TODAY Sports Images
