Matthew Slater may no longer be suiting up for the Patriots as a player but he’s reportedly not going anywhere.
According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, the 10-time Pro Bowler has accepted a full-time position with New England after it had been worked on behind-the-scenes over the past few weeks.
Shared Reiss:
Slater had other opportunities he could have pursued but elected to stay with the franchise he played for from 2008 to 2023. One source described his role as a ‘right-hand man’ to first-year head coach Mayo, providing Mayo a sounding board on football and team building, as well as assistance in ‘people development.’
Mayo was a first-round draft pick of the Patriots in 2008, while Slater was a fifth-round pick that year, so they’ve known each other since that time. Once Mayo pursued a career in coaching, he had previously told Slater it was one of his dreams for them to work together in hopes of developing something in which they could be proud.
The Patriots appear to be building a culture around players who came up in the Bill Belichick system but have their own tweaks regarding how the team should go about its business.
Slater should be a great fit given he and Mayo’s history and friendship. And the three-time Super Bowl champ is considered by many to be a remarkable leader and football mind.
There’s only room for the Pats to go up following a horrid 4-13 season last year. We’ll see what kind of impact Slater’s hire may have on New England’s draft decisions, if any, come April 25.