Meet the NFL’s Special Teams GOAT: The Hall of Fame Case for Matthew Slater
Let’s have a little fun here. Think of the greatest New England Patriot in the team’s history. Potentially, a late-round draft pick hailing from California, adorned with the glimmering Lombardi rings of Super Bowls XLIX, LI, and LIII. Does he have less than four receptions in his career? Well, yeah, probably, because you were thinking of Tom Brady. Don’t lie to me. You know who else fits all of those categories? Matthew Slater, the special teamer. In fact, I drew a Venn diagram to illustrate this.
Naturally, predicting whether someone will become a first-ballot Hall of Famer is a difficult task. It depends predominantly on who else retires in that same year. We may see locks like Von Miller or Aaron Donald step away from the game soon. Yet, I think that Matthew Slater has crafted a compelling case — one that may even rival, if not surpass, those of the future Hall-of-Famers in the NFL today. But first…
Who is Matt Slater?
A hidden gem amid the star-studded Patriots teams of his time, Slater played a pivotal role in New England’s dynasty. Selected in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft, he quickly made his mark on special teams, a unique area where he thrived. Despite having experience as a wide receiver and safety during his college days at UCLA, Slater’s true prowess emerged on kick returns, as evidenced by his three touchdowns in his senior year. This, coupled with his impressive 4.4-second 40-yard dash time, caught the eye of Bill Belichick and the Patriots. I would say Belichick “took a flyer” on him, but I don’t think Belichick really does that. He seems to know what he’s doing.
Things did not go to plan, however. He struggled as a return man and failed to stick out among his peers. Other Patriots were more successful in the role, while also playing other positions. He would soon go on to embrace his role as gunner, where excelled and found recognition not only within the Patriots’ organization, but across the entire league.
So, what are his stats looking like?
Matthew Slater, from 2008–2022, has:
- 185 tackles
- 1 forced fumble
- 637 total return yards
- 1 reception
- 46 receiving yards
- 2 rushing attempts
- 11 rushing yards
- 1 touchdown
- 1 blocked punt
Nothing special… What about his awards?
Slater is a 3x Super Bowl champion, 5x First-team All-Pro, 3x Second-team All-Pro, 10x Pro Bowler, and has won two different sportsmanship awards, if that’s your thing. If you look at the list of players with 5 or more All-Pro selections, it is almost exclusively Hall-of-Famers. It’s quite the exclusive club. The Pro Bowl has lost its meaning nowadays, but still, 10 appearances is nothing to slouch at, especially over time. To be that consistently great at your job is a feat in itself.
Enough talk, where are the highlights?
Well, we have to start with his first and only career touchdown (11 years into his career!):
Then a beauty of a downed punt:
A tackle on the electrifying Jacoby Jones:
And his one career catch:
Now, about the coin tosses:
As a captain, Slater has been known to call the Patriots’ coin tosses for years now, in some of the biggest moments in NFL history. His strategy? Always call heads. In 2017, after the Patriots’ comeback from 28–3 down to send the Super Bowl to overtime against the Falcons, Slater had the honor of calling the first coin toss in Super Bowl overtime history. In a different simulation, let’s say, Slater loses this coin toss. The Falcons go down and win the game on the first drive. Is Tom Brady still regarded as the GOAT at that moment? Who knows, it’s the domino effect. Well, of course, Slater won the toss, and James White powered his way into the end zone to win the Super Bowl for New England. In 2019, he did the same thing at Arrowhead in the AFC Championship. Mahomes and the Chiefs looked unstoppable, but so did Tom Brady. First team to get the ball goes to the Super Bowl? Slater had that on lock. Heads every time baby. As trivial as this may sound, I do think there is a historic element to winning the first overtime coin toss in Super Bowl history. As that leads me to…
The Official Hall of Fame Case:
My criteria for the NFL Hall of Fame resides in both statistics and dominance. In order to make the Hall of Fame, I believe you need to be the best (or one of the best) at your position for a sustained period of time. In this criteria, few players leave an indelible mark like Matthew Slater has on the league. He’s a symbol of what it means to be a Patriot — He’s not the flashiest player, but everyone in the organization knows how vital he was to the Patriots’ dynasty. And he’s still going. This is the exact essence of what it means to be a Hall-of-Famer. It’s hard for me to cite specific impacts Slater has made on the game, but his punt covergae and special teams acumen says enough. If leadership and sportsmanship are your thing, he’s got that covered too. His teammates love him, and he is constantly cited as one of the leaders in the locker room. He’s won historic coin tosses, he’s won Super Bowls. But to me, most importantly, he’s been the best special teamer in the league for over a decade. He’s perfected his craft, just like, say, Tom Brady did. Maybe in a little bit of a different way. Slater has respect around the league, but it is time for the media to respect him, and five years after he retires, I will be pleading his case to enter the Hall of Fame in Canton.
