FOXBOROUGH — After he marched to the postgame podium for what could be the final time, Matthew Slater said he wouldn’t be standing there without coach Bill Belichick’s impact on his career.
The 10-time Pro Bowler thanked fans for their support, and cracked a few jokes about his early days playing for the Patriots when he was uncertain that he would make the team at all.
Heading into his rookie season, Slater was so unsure of his fit with the team that he asked his father, Pro Football Hall-of-Famer Jackie Slater, if it was possible for the Patriots to release him before they paid out his signing bonus.