Matthew Slater has long been a member of the New England Patriots. And he isn't hoping for that to change any time in the near future.
Heading into the 2019 offseason, Slater, a long-time special teams contributor for the Patriots, had an option on his contract to keep him with the team for the 2019 season. The Patriots exercised it, and that ensured that Slater would return to the team for a 12th year. And needless to say, he was happy about it.
"I was really excited to hear from Bill [Belichick] that they wanted me part of the team moving forward. I'm so thankful that the Patriots saw fit to continue to make an investment in me as a player and as a leader for our team," Slater told ESPN.com's Mike Reiss. "I'm so glad I've been able to be here the entirety of my career; it really means a lot to me that I've been able to be in one place and be a part of such a great organization."
It's good to see Slater returning to the team and having some positive things to say about them. His dedication to the team has been noted, and as he mentioned, he has emerged as one of the Patriots' key leaders, serving as a captain in each year since 2011. With him returning for another season, he seems likely to take on a leadership role once again.
Slater will continue on mainly as a core special teamer this year. Though he's listed a receiver on the depth chart, Slater won't provide much in that role. He has only one career catch for 46 yards, so his presence will do little to replace the depth the Patriots lost this offseason at receiver with Cordarrelle Patterson gone and Chris Hogan still unsigned.
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