Matthew Slater, who many view as the beating heart of the New England Patriots, officially announced his retirement in a social media post on Tuesday.
The writing was on the wall for the legendary special teamer in the Patriots’ 2023 regular season finale against the New York Jets. An emotional Slater could be seen embracing teammates, coaches, owner Robert Kraft and family members before taking the field for what would be the final game of his illustrious 16-year career.
What an incredible run it has been for a player former Patriots coach Bill Belichick once referred to as the greatest special teams player of all time.