Who Should I Start? Matthew Slater or James Washington

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.

Monday, August 28, 7:13 PM

The Indianapolis Colts released wide receiver James Washington on Monday, according to a league source. Washington signed with the Colts during training camp but obviously didn't do enough in the short time he was with the team to earn a roster spot heading into the 2023 regular season. The former second-round selection of the Pittsburgh Steelers back in 2018 out of Oklahoma State was unable to secure his only target in two games played with the Dallas Cowboys in 2022 after four seasons in Pittsburgh to begin his career. Washington's best season came in 2019, when he had 44 receptions for 735 yards and three touchdowns in 15 games (10 starts). He will now look to join another team as receiver depth for the 2023 campaign.