FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- New England Patriots captain Matthew Slater, whose 10 Pro Bowl berths are an NFL record for a special teams player, sharply criticized the league for last week's rule change that allows fair catches on kickoffs for the 2023 season.
The NFL has cited player safety as a primary reason for the change, which Slater questioned after the Patriots' practice Wednesday.
"I just don't believe this is truly in the name of player health and safety. What I do believe is, 'We [the NFL] want to portray ourselves a certain way to the public that says we care about the players,'" said Slater, the 37-year-old son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Jackie Slater.