New England Patriots Just Dodged a Huge Bullet With Matthew Slater

The New England Patriots will look different in 2020. Head coach Bill Belichick made the long-awaited changes to the roster. This will be his first season without quarterback Tom Brady. The Patriots head coach lost a few key players in March, including the GOAT. As if that wasn’t enough, eight players decided to opt out of the regular season. The Patriots will have to rely on the very few veterans on the roster, including team captain Matthew Slater.

Well, they almost lost him.

The coronavirus pandemic forced many players to stay home and opt-out of 2020. Players with medical concerns will watch the games at home instead of helping their teammates win games. The same applies to players who have a baby or a family member with a specific health condition to protect. Patrick Chung is out. Dont’a Hightower is out too.

These opt-outs affected the Patriots organization when no one was even thinking about it. The Patriots were already set to make some major changes and now they have to replace their key contributors.

New England almost lost Slater. He has been a quite leader for the team since his signing in 2008. Slater had similar plans, but changed his mind and decided to stay. The five-time All-Pro special teams member is a captain and a go-to veteran for the team. In other words, the Patriots need him on the field and in their locker room.

The Patriots need Matthew Slater

The deadline was getting closer, and Slater decided to play. He ignored the concerns about his health and safety. He wasn’t ready to take a step back and go home.

The captain is all-in when it comes to winning games, and he won’t leave his team when his help is most needed.

This was an era of tough decisions, and the Patriots had to go through many discussions and debates. They are almost done adjusting the roster, and Belichick is ready for whatever 2020 brings to him.

It will be interesting to watch Patriots veterans lead a large group of rookies. Some of the first-year rookies will take a big role in September. They have no NFL experience, but Belichick decided to trust their talents.