NEWS FLASH: new england patriots superstar tells the team about his……

No decision has been made yet about whether or not he will continue his career into a 17th year. There is a possibility, however, that Sunday’s season finale against the New York Jets will be the final game in Matthew Slater’s legendary career.

At age 38 and with an impressive résumé that includes three Super Bowl wins, the team captain is a definitive candidate to call it quits. If he does, he will leave a massive hole not just as a core member of the New England Patriots’ kicking game operation but their locker room as well.

The long-time team captain is the most experienced player in that room, and a deserving successor to the “Mr. Patriot” title previously carried by fellow franchise legends such as Gino Cappelletti or Troy Brown. It is therefore no surprise that his teammates are using this possibly final week of his career to shower him with praise.

“In my opinion, he’s a Hall of Famer. He’s done so much for this organization off the field and on the field,” another Patriots captain, defensive lineman Deatrich Wise Jr., told reporters at his locker on Wednesday.

“He talks to us after every game. He’s the voice of the team. Everybody hears him after we win or lose. Everybody knows his name. He’s been around. He knows everybody by name. He’s a wonderful guy. He prays for everybody, talks with everybody. He’s been here a long time, knows a lot of people, but he has the respect across not only our locker room but the league.”

Slater and Wise Jr. have shared the field since 2017, when the latter arrived as a fourth-round draft selection. At that point, Slater was already a six-time Pro Bowler coming off his ninth season with the organization.

His longevity certainly has not gone unnoticed either. In total, Slater has appeared in a combined 264 regular season and playoff games; he is in his 13th season as a captain — getting elevated to that rank before all but one of his current teammates (defensive tackle Lawrence Guy) even entered the NFL.

“When I had first gotten here I was talking about when he started and he said that his first year was ‘08,” told tight end Mike Gesicki. “I grew up a Giants fan, so I was like, ‘OK, where does that relate to me? When the Giants won the Super Bowl in ‘07, where you there for that?’ He said, ‘No, I came in the next year.’

“I was like, ‘Slate, you’ve been in this building doing the exact same workouts with the same head coach, obviously new teammates, since I was in seventh grade. You’ve just been in that locker since then.’ It’s crazy to think about, and it’s honestly such an honor to be a teammate of his. He’s such a great guy, great human. And then, obviously, an exceptional football player. So, definitely cool to be able to be one of his teammates.”

Gesicki, a pending free agent whose future with the team also is unclear, arrived in New England during this spring. The two therefore only spent 10 months working together up until now, but it is still clear that Slater had an impact on him.

The same is true for linebacker Mack Wilson, who arrived via trade one year before Gesicki.

“It’s bittersweet,” he said about Slater possibly playing his final career game this week. “I was just talking with my fiancée a few days ago, and a few friends, and I was just telling them it’s crazy to think that I was able to share the field with arguably the best special teams player to ever play the game.

“When you think about it, obviously fast forward to the offseason this year, there’s a possibility Slate could not be on this team next year, it’s even harder. I’m just so blessed to have been able to share the field with him for two years, and I’m grateful.”

The next few weeks will tell whether or not Slater will be back for another ride in 2024. Whenever he steps away from the game, the clock will start ticking for the Hall of Fame — both the Patriots’ own, and the pro football version.

When it comes to his teammates, and his head coach, he certainly is a deserving candidate for both.