Matthew Slater welcomed players at the first day of the Patriots’ voluntary workout program
Slater, who retired following the 2023 season, is still involved with the team.
Former Patriots special teams ace Matthew Slater might be retired from his playing career, but his time in New England is far from finished.
Slater, 38, called time on his remarkable 16-year career (spent entirely with the Patriots) following the 2023 season. Even still, the 10-time Pro Bowler was on-hand for the first day of New England’s voluntary offseason workout program on Monday, as reported by ESPN’s Mike Reiss:
Though it’s a voluntary program, some of the Patriots’ most important veteran players were in attendance, including Kendrick Bourne, Rhamondre Stevenson, and Christian Gonzalez.
It’s a momentous day in its own right, given that it marks another “first” in the newly-installed head coaching tenure of Jerod Mayo. Of course, Mayo and Slater have plenty of familiarity, given that they were teammates (and were selected in the same 2008 draft class).
As for Slater’s potential future as a coach, it’s unclear if he will take up a more official position. Mayo, in his statement following Slater’s retirement announcement, noted that the ex-special teams captain “will be great at whatever he chooses to do next.”
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