Patriots

Matthew Slater re-signs with Patriots, report says

Matthew Slater had plenty to celebrate in 2019, and he can celebrate agreeing to stay put with the Patriots. MATTHEW J. LEE/GLOBE STAFF/THE BOSTON GLOBE

By The Boston Globe

March 13, 2020

Tom Brady’s future remains in doubt as NFL free agency closes in, but the second-longest tenured Patriots player is reportedly staying put.

Matthew Slater agreed to a two-year extension, according to ESPN’s Field Yates, “similar to his last,” which averaged $2.6 million per season.

The fifth-round pick in 2008 was a team captain for the ninth straight season in 2019, made his eighth Pro Bowl — the most by a special teamer in NFL history — and was an All-Pro First-Teamer for the second time.

He scored his first career touchdown against Buffalo on Sept. 29, returning J.C. Jackson’s blocked punt, as well as blocking a punt of his own and leading the Patriots with 10 special-team tackles in the regular season.

Slater, who turns 35 in September, was due to become a free agent at 4 p.m. on Wednesday. He told reporters at the Pro Bowl “it’s my desire to continue to play,” and that he found it hard to visualize himself anywhere but Foxborough.

“I’ve expressed publicly and privately to remain a Patriot for the entirety of my career and, certainly, I still feel that way. So, we’ll see how it goes.”