6 Patriots Playing Their Last Game With the Team on Sunday

5. Matthew Slater, Special Teams Ace

Unless you follow the Patriots, you might not know who Matthew Slater is. Listed as a wide receiver, Slater has seen just eight passes thrown his way since joining the team back in 2008 and has only one catch. Instead, he's been on the field as a special teams ace.

A 10-time Pro Bowler, Slater has 190 tackles and five forced fumbles in his career. Head coach Bill Belichick went as far as to say he's the greatest special teams player ever. Perhaps that's why he's still going strong at 38. But he knows it won't last forever and even spoke with former teammate Devin McCourty about what to expect should this be his final season.

“I’m trying to enjoy it as much as I can – take it all in, cherish the moments with the guys,”Slater said via MassLive. “The reality is I don’t know what my future holds. I just want to cherish every minute of it. I’ve talked to guys who’ve crossed over, so to speak, D-Mac and (people) like that and they’re just like, ‘Hey, man, enjoy all of it. You know, when it’s gone, it’s gone.’ I’m going to enjoy it and try not to think too much about what lies ahead.”

Slater will turn 39 before the start of the 2024 season which makes it highly unlikely he comes back. Those chances decline even more if Belichick isn't retained, which seems to be likely.