Matthew Slater’s New England Patriots Contract Reflects The Value Of Continuous, Uninterrupted Tenure

Like in 2022, Matthew Slater will earn more than his slice of the salary cap indicates in 2023.

The New England Patriots special teams captain’s decision to return for a 16th season with the organization that drafted him is backed by the value of tenure. Continuous and uninterrupted tenure.

Article 27 of the latest collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and NFL Players Association details how.

The 2008 Patriots fifth-round pick again checked the box as a “four-year qualifying player,” for those carrying four or more credited campaigns with a club whose contract has expired after four or more credited campaigns. Said players must have remained on their club’s 90-man roster for every game — regular season into postseason — during those four consecutive league years.

In turn, the cap number for qualifying veterans can equal the minimum salary aligned with their service time.

Slater, who will turn 38 in September, reached a one-year deal in February that totals north of $2.667 million when factoring in a $152,500 signing bonus and $2.515 million base salary. As reported last week by ESPN’s Field Yates, however, the UCLA product’s upcoming cap charge with the Patriots is set to stand just north of $1.317 million.

It is along the same lines as the previous offseason, when Slater remained on a one-year pact featuring a base salary of $2.470 million while only a shade over $1.272 million went against New England’s cap.

That agreement prior to the official start of free agency gave way to a team-high 385 snaps on special teams for Slater. It also gave way to a dozen tackles in the kicking game through 17 games — a tally only surpassed in Foxborough by undrafted rookie Brenden Schooler’s 14.

A member of the franchise’s All-Decade and All-Dynasty teams, Slater’s tenure is the longest active in the locker room. He has appeared in a combined 248 games, including 25 playoff games, and at point point saw the field during 11 straight playoff runs.

Voted a Patriots captain for the first time in 2011, when his lone career reception gained 46 yards, the de-facto wide receiver’s longevity has gone on to bring ten Pro Bowls, five All-Pros as well as rings from three Super Bowls.

The longevity now brings a cash-to-cap ratio of 2.02, per OverTheCap.com, in the middle ground between team-friendly and player-friendly.

And benefits outside the numbers.

“You know, my role on this football team goes beyond what happens on the football field,” Slater told Patriots.com following his re-signing. “It’s about just being there for my teammates, helping them become the best version of themselves. I really feel like that’s a big part of my calling at this point in my career.”

The 2023 league year opens on March 15 at 4 p.m. ET.