Who Should I Start? Matthew Slater or Darius Slayton

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.

Sunday, January 7, 9:01 PM

New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton continued his impressive run at the end of the 2023 season, adding five catches for 62 yards and a touchdown to his season-long totals. It's the third straight game in which Slayton has found paydirt. All those touchdowns came from the arm of veteran quarterback Tyrod Taylor. With Taylor under center, Slayton became a consistent, dependable fantasy football wide receiver. He finishes the season as the team leader for receiving yards. It's abundantly clear to anyone who has watched a Giants game this season that there's a big need for elite wide receivers. Slayton should be back for Big Blue next season, but he may not maintain his alpha role.