16-year New England Patriots veteran and special teams captain Matthew Slater may not have confirmed Sunday’s season finale against the New York Jets was his last game, but all signs pointed to it.

There were tributes to Slater before, during, and after the game from his teammates, coaches, and beyond. Those included pre-game sweatshirts honoring his career, extended time on the video board, and chants from fans.

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Asked if all of the attention was confirmation was he was retiring, Slater stayed with the team-first approach that’s become a hallmark of his career. “Let’s talk about that another day. I just want to express my thanks to those guys in that locker room today,” he said.

Still, Slater was clearly touched by all the tributes. “It meant a lot. It meant a lot. I was blown away by it,” Slater said postgame. “I never wanted anything about my experience here to be about me, so it did make me a little bit uncomfortable. But to have the guys do that, I just – I’ll never be able to put that into words as long as I live. So, it meant a lot to me.”

Slater’s teammates were eager to return the favor. Many of them spoke after the game reflecting on their time spent and lessons learned from the three-time Super Bowl champ. Here’s what they had to say…

• David Andrews

  New England Patriots on Twitter: "🫶 pic.twitter.com/ImL93SEuXv / Twitter"

  🫶 pic.twitter.com/ImL93SEuXv

  “I’ve been asked a lot about Slate. I don’t know how many more words I can say about him, but I think we’re all better for knowing Matthew Slater. If you’ve got to spend some time with him, which a lot of you guys in this room have, you know that to be true. We’re all better for Matthew Slater.”

• Deatrich Wise

  New England Patriots on Twitter: "Deatrich Wise Jr. Live Postgame Press Conference: https://t.co/3IYTMbS2BK / Twitter"

  Deatrich Wise Jr. Live Postgame Press Conference: https://t.co/3IYTMbS2BK

  “My relationship with Matthew this year, or my whole career, has been great, more of a mentorship, that’s how I always saw it. His relationship and how much he has meant to this team is – you can’t really describe it in words but if I was to describe it in words to it would be, ‘very important.’ He is the last voice we hear at the end of every game, he talks, he motivates. His words carry emotion and his words carry inspiration. His words definitely allow us to see things that sometimes we can’t always see. His words have vision to them. He’s been around the game for a long time and he’s able to keep everybody motivated and allow people to see things that aren’t always seen. I know I keep repeating myself, but that’s kind of what it is. And that’s kind of what he’s been to us this season.”

• Ja’Whaun Bentley

  New England Patriots on Twitter: "Ja'Whaun Bentley Live Postgame Press Conference: https://t.co/4paddpZgV7 / Twitter"

  Ja'Whaun Bentley Live Postgame Press Conference: https://t.co/4paddpZgV7

  “I mean, where do I start? Just on and off the field – he’s shown that leadership is just not on the field. Leadership doesn’t have to do with your sport, it doesn’t just have to do with what you do on a day-to-day. But everything kind of falls, goes hand-in-hand in a way. When you leave this building, you’re still looked at in that light, you’re still seen in a leader whether it be him involved in social justice and all the other things. I mean, when Slate walks into the room, the whole energy changes. You can’t necessarily pinpoint what that is, it just is. You can credit to him and all the work he’s done to get there, you can credit that to his pops for just being I guess a model for him. But he’s coming in this building every single day, here to go to work, willing to drag whoever he needs to drag along. In the tough moments, he always just happens to find the right things to say. That’s just leadership qualities that you can’t teach. There’s no class for it, there’s no book you can read, there’s no pill you can take. That’s just something that just is. That’s just a gift that he’s had and we’re grateful for everything that he’s done in this building.”

• Jahlani Tavai

  Jahlani Tavai calls Matthew Slater “the definition of a great human being.” Says he has a “dirty taste” in his mouth right now because they weren’t able to send Slater off with a win. pic.twitter.com/KjpHgqf8UF

  — Phil Perry (@PhilAPerry) January 7, 2024

  “Slate is the definition of a great human being. A lot of us strive to be someone like him, and I was just fortunate to be here and learn from him. I’m grateful for every talk that we had and every practice that we had together. Like I said, I wouldn’t trade it for the world. It’s just a blessing to know a great human being like Slater.”

• Jalen Reagor

  Evan Lazar on Twitter: "End zone angle of Jalen Reagor's kickoff return TD. This is just great blocking across the board. Pharaoh Brown and Slater on the kick-outs, Uche and Phillips on the double-team, Tavai and Schooler on the backside. Reagor did the rest. #Patriots pic.twitter.com/SauPvpqu4I / Twitter"

  End zone angle of Jalen Reagor's kickoff return TD. This is just great blocking across the board. Pharaoh Brown and Slater on the kick-outs, Uche and Phillips on the double-team, Tavai and Schooler on the backside. Reagor did the rest. #Patriots pic.twitter.com/SauPvpqu4I

  “For me, just special teams, and him being a leader. Regardless of the outcomes, he is very resilient. He is a legend, a Pro Bowler, so I respect him.”

• New England Patriots on Twitter: ""When Slate walks into the room, the whole energy changes."Patriots players reflect on what Matthew Slater means to them and the organization. pic.twitter.com/hol7dc9JKw / Twitter"

  "When Slate walks into the room, the whole energy changes."Patriots players reflect on what Matthew Slater means to them and the organization. pic.twitter.com/hol7dc9JKw

  Alex Barth is a writer and digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Looking for a podcast guest? Let him know on Twitter @RealAlexBarth or via email at [email protected].

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