Patriots captain Matthew Slater announces retirement after 16 seasons, 3 Super Bowl titles

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — For more than a decade, Matthew Slater was universally celebrated as being the emotional centerpiece of the New England Patriots' locker room, building a resume as one of the league's mostdecorated special teams players.

After 16 NFL seasons, he says it's time to call it a career.

Slater announced his retirement on Tuesday in a letter posted on the team's website and social media accounts, saying he had "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," Slater wrote in the letter. "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."

A fifth-round draft pick out of UCLA by New England in 2008 and son of Hall of Famer Jackie Slater, he was unapologetically open about his Christian faith while growing into the embodiment of Bill Belichick's "Patriot Way," team-first culture.

Along the way Slater was voted as the special teams captain 13 times while winning three Super Bowl rings, earning 10 Pro Bowl selections and two All-Pro honors.

From 2018 to 2022 he didn't miss a game. His total of 264 games with the Patriots are second in team history behind only Tom Brady's 326.

"What he brings to the team off the field — leadership, work ethic, guidance, motivation ... is very unique and extraordinary, the very top," Belichick said in December when asked about Slater's impact on the Patriots.

Team owner Robert Kraft said he expects Slater's career to one day earn him a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame alongside his father.

"Matthew Slater wasn't just a special teams player for the Patriots. He was a special team player who helped us win three Super Bowls and made a positive impact on the many lives he touched, both on and off the field." Kraft said in a statement.

Following the announcement, well wishes poured in across social media from Slater's Patriots teammates, including Brady, who called him "one of a kind."

Though "Slate" often referred to Bible verses to describe different situations the Patriots confronted, he was a fierce competitor and served as the team's unofficial spokesman.