New England Patriots legend dubbed ‘best of all time’ by Bill Belichick retires

New England Patriots legend dubbed ‘best of all time’ by Bill Belichick retires

New England Patriots special teams star Matthew Slater has announced his retirement after 16 seasons in the NFL.

Slater hangs up his cleats after a stellar career which saw him win three Super Bowl rings, earn five first-team All-Pro honours and he was voted to the Pro Bowl ten times.

A fifth-round draft pick by the Patriots in the 2008 NFL Draft, Slater came into the league as a wide receiver, but he made his name as a special teams standout, making 191 total tackles and earning the ultimate praise from former New England head coach Bill Belichick.

“As a core special teams player, Slater really is, I’d say, been the best of all time,” Belichick said last year. “I hope he gets recognized for that.”

In a statement on the Patriots website Slater said: “For the last 25 years of my life, 16 of them as a New England Patriot, I have been incredibly blessed to be able to emulate the man I saw on those fields in Meridian by playing the game that I love so much.

“I have given all that I possibly can to respect and honor the game. Though it is time for my relationship with the game to evolve, the love I have for it will last a lifetime.

“As a player, God used the game of football to instruct, discipline, encourage, and develop me as a person.

“In 2008, I came here as a young man with hopes and dreams. In 2024, I can retire knowing this experience has exceeded any hope or dream I ever had.”

Slater’s father, Jackie, was a former LA and St Louis Rams great and Matthew will be hoping to emulate him and end up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

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