Patriots Legend Breaks Silence After Parting Ways With Team

The New England Patriots made some major additions to their coaching staff ahead of the start of the Mike Vrabel coaching era in Foxborough.

However, the team also suffered from a few key departures on the sidelines amid the whirlwind of change –– one of those subtractions being long-time Patriots special teamer turned coach Matthew Slater, who will not be with New England for the 2025 season.

Slater was brought on as an assistant to Jerod Mayo ahead of the 2024 season, frequently being dubbed as the first-year head coach's right-hand man. However, with Mayo now out of the picture, including several assistants of last season, the Patriots special teams legend is out as well.

However, after parting ways with the Patriots, Slater says that his focus will turn away from football, and instead pivot towards his life off the field with his wife and children.

"I'm a dad and a husband, and that is what's right for me right now," Slater said in an interview with WBZ-TV's Dan Roche. "That's what I'm most excited about doing. I've put that on hold for a lot of years and that's what I'm going to do in the near future... I've had a tremendous experience as a Patriot. They've been nothing but good to me. They allowed me to live out my childhood dream and I'm very thankful for that. I'm thankful for all the Kraft family has done for me and I don't see that changing anytime soon. I'll always be a Patriots fan and always support the team. Right now, it's important that I support my family and that's what I'm going to do moving forward."

Slater was drafted by New England in 2008 during the fifth round to remain as a franchise mainstay for the next decade plus. In his tenure with the Patriots, Slater had 16 years of service on the field where he grabbed 10 Pro Bowl selections, two All-Pro nods, and was a part of three Super Bowl-winning teams on his way to being one of the best special teams talents in NFL history.

Not having him in the fold for the first time since 2007 will be a major change for this New England group. Yet, it's all a part of the revolution taking place in the Patriots franchise with the introduction of Coach Vrabel and their steps to becoming a new and improved version of themselves.

As Slater is set to be out of the mix as a coach, he'll still have opportunities to stick around the building with his ties to Vrabel as well as around the roster. But for now, the Patriots legend has his priorities in place.