The New England Patriots lost another legendary figure this offseason. After Bill Belichick announced he was parting ways with the Patriots last month, New England is now losing a key player due to retirement. Find out what Matthew Slater said about Bill Belichick during his retirement announcement.
Matthew Slater Thanks Bill Belichick Profusely
Earlier this morning, Patriots WR Matthew Slater released a statement where he announced his retirement. Slater thanked several people in this statement. Some of those people included family members and Patriots owner Robert Kraft.
However, he dedicated a section specifically for former head coach Bill Belichick. Slater credited Belichick for giving him the opportunity to succeed in the NFL:
“Thank you for giving me the opportunity to pursue my childhood dream. Thank you for your belief in me. You took a chance on me and kept me around when many would not have. It is a great honor to know that I played for the best coach in the history of our league.” -Matthew Slater
Bill Belichick Highly Respects Matthew Slater
The respect is mutual when it comes to Belichick and Slater. While Slater called Belichick the greatest head coach in the history of the game, Belichick also called Slater the greatest special teams player in NFL history. This is high praise considering Devin Hester was recently inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
If that was not enough, Belichick released a statement regarding Slater shortly after his retirement announcement. In that statement, Belichick re-emphasized the above comment and said Slater is deserving of every accolade.
Matthew Slater’s Accomplishments
So, what did Slater accomplish in his NFL career? For starters, Slater made 10 Pro Bowl appearances throughout his NFL career. His first Pro Bowl appearance dates back to 2011.
He had 637 kickoff return yards throughout his NFL career. Slater had an average of 18.2 yards per return. An important note is that of the 16 years that Slater played, he was only a kickoff returner for seven of those seasons. Still, he managed to put up all of those kickoff return yards in that short stretch.
New England Patriots Moving Forward
It was already the unofficial end of an era when Belichick left the Patriots. Now, another player from the old regime is making his departure. This will truly be a new chapter in New England starting in 2024.
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