Slater, a special teams ace throughout the Belichick-Brady dynasty, announced his retirement in a lengthy statement posted to X, formerly Twitter. Among the most respected people in the NFL, Slater, 38, was a do-it-all player for New England, blocking field goals and punts, serving as a special teams gunner, and generally doing the dirty work that undergirded the team’s unprecedented success in the 2000s and 2010s. “Matthew Slater deserves every accolade someone could receive,” former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said in a statement. “He is a once in a lifetime person, and the best core special teams player in NFL history.” Slater retires as a ten-time Pro Bowler and a three-time Super Bowl champion.

The Pats announced Slater's return on Twitter. The veteran specials teams ace is set to hit free agency, but it's safe to assume the two sides have worked out another one-year deal. Per the team's site, Slater is second in team history with 223 total games played. He has logged at least 300 special teams snaps in each of the past five years.

Slater is a WR in name only, as he never plays offense, and is mainly glued to the Patriots' special teams units. He has one career catch, coming all the way back in 2011. Slater turns 37 in September.

Per ESPN's Field Yates, the deal is "similar to" Slater's most recent pact, which paid him $2.6 million per season. Headed into his age-35 campaign, Slater has been one of coach Bill Belichick's team leaders since 2008. Slater has one career reception. It came in 2011.