The New England Patriots have had a plethora of players that have chosen to opt out of the 2020 season due to the risks pertaining to COVID-19. Even though he considered joining his teammates in opting out, Matthew Slater is deciding to play in 2020, per NFL Network's Mike Garafolo.
From @gmfb: The #Patriots almost had another opt-out but longtime team captain Matt Slater tells @RapSheet he has decided to play this season. pic.twitter.com/LEQYE3ohKV
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) July 30, 2020
Earlier this week, a total of six players from the Patriots decided to sit out the upcoming season. Altogether, Marcus Cannon, Patrick Chung, Danny Vitale, Brandon Bolden, Najee Toran, and Dont'a Hightower all opted out. As a result, New England will have three of their starters missing the 2020 season.
All of the players that opted out had a valid reason for making the important decision to sit out. Whether it be due to concerns for their loved ones or health issues themselves, it's reasonable for players to make the choice to refrain from playing in 2020.
On the other hand, according to Garafolo, Slater came close to joining the list of Patriots players that won't be playing this season. However, Slater has come to the decision that he'll suit up with New England in 2020 despite the concerns surrounding the season.
Ever since joining the Patriots in 2008, Slater has been a special teams standout for Bill Belichick's squad. The UCLA product has been able to make eight out of the last nine Pro Bowls as a special teams contributor. At the same time, he's earned two All-Pro honors due to his production on special teams.
There's no doubt that New England is going to have a bunch of new faces on both sides of the ball in 2020. At the least, they can rely on Slater being a cornerstone for their special teams unit once again.
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