Matthew Slater returns to Pats after team picks up option

Matthew Slater was bound for free agency until the New England Patriots picked up the team option on the second year of his contract Wednesday.

If their first flurry of moves on Day 1 of NFL free agency are any indication, the New England Patriots are primarily focused with keeping their own players away from other teams. After locking up John Simon and coming to terms with Jason McCourty, New England made the expected move of picking up the team option on the second year of Matthew Slater’s contract.

The veteran special teams ace explored the free agent market last year before ultimately deciding on a return to Foxborough. He signed a two-year deal last March worth $5.2 million, though the exact terms of the contract made it essentially a one-year deal that expired on March 13, 2019 – the first day of the new NFL year. If the Patriots didn’t exercise the team option, Slater would have been set to hit unrestricted free agency.

Thankfully for both sides, that never came to pass. By picking up the team option on a second year, the Patriots now pay Slater a $400,000 roster bonus that will count $2.9 million against New England’s 2019 salary cap. It’s a hefty sum for a wide receiver who almost never plays wide receiver, but Slater’s tremendous value on special teams simply cannot be overlooked.

He had another magnificent season for the Patriots in 2018. According to SB Nation’s Pats Pulpit website, Slater “was on the field for 67.5% of the club’s special teams snaps (second most on the team behind only Nate Ebner).” He also finished second in tackles among special teams players, behind Ebner once again.

The 11-year veteran is a three-time Super Bowl champion and seven-time Pro Bowler. He has also been named an All-Pro on five separate occasions throughout his career – four times as a First-Team nomination and once as a Second-Team nomination.