New England Patriots coaching assistant Matthew Slater will not be part of Mike Vrabel’s staff, according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss.
Slater served the role of special assistant to the head coach on Jerod Mayo’s staff. It was his first coaching opportunity since retiring from the game of football. He had a historic career as one of the greatest special teams players of all time with the Patriots from 2008-2003, earning 10 Pro Bowl nominations in the process.
Slater was highly respected as a veteran player and was an integral part of the Patriots’ special teams unit throughout his career.
Reiss wrote:
In his SiriusXM NFL Radio interview, Maye noted how Matthew Slater was a top mentor to him during his rookie season, which included “all aspects of life.”
That leaves a significant void for Maye in 2025. Slater was serving as the special assistant to former head coach Jerod Mayo, a position that didn’t carry over to the new regime.
Vrabel has been hard at work rebuilding the coaching staff, and that has led to a massive turnover, including Alex Van Pelt, DeMarcus Covington, Dont’a Hightower, Slater and so many others.
It’s a crucial time for a Patriots team seeking significant change after three straight losing seasons.
