The New England Patriots have reached a deal with special teams ace Matthew Slater to return for his 15th season with the team, a source told ESPN’s Field Yates.
The deal is for one year with $2.62 million fully guaranteed.
Slater’s 10 Pro Bowl berths are the most in NFL history for a special-teamer, besting former Buffalo Bills great Steve Tasker (seven).
A captain in each of the past 11 seasons, Slater, 36, has spent his entire career with the Patriots — who selected him in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL draft — and is on record as saying it’s the only franchise he’d play for.
Slater, a three-time Super Bowl champion, is usually the player who addresses teammates in the locker room after victories.
Slater finished the 2021 season with 11 special teams tackles, and he has finished with 10 or more in 10 of his 14 seasons. He is the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Jackie Slater.