Matthew Slater and Bill Belichick likely spent their last game with the New England Patriots on Sunday. As the end of an era likely nears its end in Foxborough, Slater gave some kind words about the Patriots' coach.

Slater expressed gratitude for Belichick, who drafted him in the fifth round in the 2008 NFL Draft.

“Without coach, I’m not standing up here talking to you,” Slater told reporters following the Patriots' 17-3 loss to the New York Jets. “He took a chance on me. A lot of people, when, I got here thought I got drafted because my dad (Pro Football Hall of Famer Jackie Slater). So he took a chance on me, and has taken a chance on me for 16 years. I’m very grateful for that. He’s the best coach that has ever coached this game, in my opinion. Thankful for the 16 years that I’ve had with him.”

Belichick's decision to take a chance on Slater paid major dividends. He was named a Pro Bowler 10 times in his career after he settled into his role as a gunner and special teams coverage player. Those 10 Pro Bowls are the most ever for a special teams players, and it helped the Patriots win three Super Bowls over his 16 seasons with the team.

But Slater admitted that there were times when he wasn't sure if he'd be able to carve out the role that he did.

“I came here as a no name, fringe player. For a lot of my career, a lot of you guys thought I was getting cut. I thought I was getting cut, too,” Slater said. “To have this fan base embrace me the way that they have, and appreciate what I do on the field is very, very humbling.”

What Matthew Slater said about retirement following Patriots' loss to Jets

Even though most indications seem to be that Slater will retire, he wasn't ready to talk about that decision just yet on Sunday.

“Let’s talk about that another day,” Slater said. “I just want to express my thanks to those guys in that locker room today. So, I’m very appreciative of all the love and support that I’ve received this whole season, with certainly today and this week. I’m just proud to be a part of that group. Even though the season was what it was, to come here every day and be able to work with those guys, it really meant a lot to me.”