Breathe easy, Patriots fans. Matthew Slater, notorious team hype-man and seven-time Pro Bowler, has signed a new contract with the New England Patriots. The two-year deal comes after a brief visit to the Pittsburgh Steelers last weekend, which had some fans on edge.
Special teams captain Matthew Slater is returning to the Patriots on a two-year deal, per source.
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) March 20, 2018
New England Patriots and Matthew Slater Reach Deal on New Contract
The 32-year-old special teamer (and occasional wide receiver) will continue his long career with the Patriots. Slater has never contributed much in terms of return yards, and his one career reception came in the form of a 46-yard completion to kick off the Patriots season in 2011. However, Slater is consistently one of the best special teams players in the league thanks to his blocking and tackling efforts. Additionally, his successful coin toss call led to the Patriots win in Super Bowl LI.
Slater’s off-field contributions are perhaps more influential than his on-field contributions, though. After each win, Slater leads locker room speeches that many fans should be familiar with by now.
The two-year deal comes as somewhat of a surprise. Following his short visit with the Steelers, and reported interest coming from the Buffalo Bills, many were bracing themselves for the possibility of a Slater-less Patriots next season. The recent signing of Cordarrelle Patterson, another special teams star, only served to fuel fears of losing Slater. The two players serve drastically different special teams roles though.
Slater was once a kickoff return man but has only returned seven kicks in the last five years. On the other hand, Patterson has returned over 150. Slater’s role will likely be contained to special teams tackles, a role he excels in. He and Patterson will be listed as wide receivers on the official depth chart, but neither player should worry about competing for their spot thanks to their need at special teams.
Free agency has been a roller coaster for the Patriots, with the loss of players like Danny Amendola and Nate Solder. For now, how do we feel about having another two years of Slater-led post-win locker room celebrations?
