Patriots Legend Matthew Slater Staying With Team In New Role

Patriots legend Matthew Slater will no longer be racing down the sidelines at Gillette Stadium, hunting return men. He retired back in January, officially bringing his awe-inspiring career in New England to an end.

He might be roaming them in a different role, however.

Slater, just like many of his former teammates, arrived to One Patriot Place on Monday for the start of voluntary offseason workouts. He strolled in, Bible in hand, ready to take on a new, somewhat unidentifiable, role with the Patriots.

Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers revealed Tuesday that Slater has been retained as an “advisor.”

“I didn’t think he was done anyway,” Peppers said, per Brian Hines of Pats Pulpit. “I think this is his way to kind of stay engaged but take a little off his body.”

“I’m happy we kept him in the building,” Peppers added, per Mark Daniels of MassLive.

Slater, who spent 16 seasons in New England, originally joined the Patriots as a fifth-round selection in the 2008 NFL Draft. He’s arguably the best special teams player in the history of football, earning 10 Pro Bowl selections and two First Team All-Pro nods. He was also a captain for the majority of his career, helping serve as a spiritual guide for many of his teammates.

In his new role, he’ll continue to serve the Patriots without putting any more stress on his body.