Who Should I Start? Matthew Slater or Chris Conley

Tuesday, February 20, 12:01 PM

New England Patriots wide receiver and special teams ace Matthew Slater announced on Tuesday that he is officially retiring from professional football. Slater holds the record for most special teams Pro Bowl appearances with 10. "I have given all that I possibly can to respect and honor the game," Slater wrote. "Though it is time for my relationship with the game to evolve, the love I have for it will last a lifetime." The former fifth-round pick by the Patriots in 2008 out of UCLA spent his entire 16-year career in New England and won three Super Bowls with the team and is the franchise's all-time leader in special teams tackles. Slater played in 239 games with the Patriots, second in team history behind only Tom Brady (285). Slater's 25 career postseason games rank ninth-most in NFL history. The 38-year-old was a team captain for 13 straight seasons.

Saturday, March 16, 10:34 PM

Free-agent wide receiver Chris Conley agreed to a one-year deal with the 49ers on Saturday. The journeyman wideout has played for five teams throughout his career, making stops in Kansas City, Jacksonville, Houston, and Tennessee before appearing in eight regular season games for San Francisco in 2023-24. He finished the year by catching just three passes (six targets) for 69 yards while failing to find the end zone. The 49ers still have Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, and Brandon Aiyuk as their primary receivers, so Conley will continue to have a tough time getting looks from Brock Purdy, meaning he won't see much attention from fantasy managers heading into the 2024-25 campaign.