Patriots special teams captain Matthew Slater took some time to ponder his NFL future before ultimately deciding to return for a 16th season in New England.
Slater experienced a lot of winning in his first 15 years with the team, but this season has been much rougher sledding. Sunday’s loss to the Raiders moved the Patriots to 1-5 on the season and some of those losses have been embarrassing blowouts of a magnitude Slater had not previously experienced in the NFL.
During an appearance on WEEI, Slater was asked if he’s still happy with the decision to remain with the team.
“Absolutely,” Slater said, via NESN.com. “Look, you never take for granted an opportunity to play the game you love, especially when you’re my age. Obviously, not what I envisioned when I came back — for us to be in this position. But I have no regrets at all and I’m still thankful to be a part of this group, thankful to be working with these guys and hoping we can turn this thing around and finish on a high note.”
With Devin McCourty retiring this year, Slater is one of a dwindling number of Patriots with strong ties to the franchise’s brightest days. Given how off track things are in New England, that number figures to go down even more heading into 2024.
