Who Should I Start? Matthew Slater or Jamison Crowder

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.

Wednesday, March 13, 6:43 PM

Wide receiver Jamison Crowder re-signed with the Washington Commanders on Wednesday on an undisclosed one-year deal, according to a source. In his return to D.C. in 2023, Crowder caught just 16 passes on 20 targets for 159 yards and one touchdown in 17 games played. The 30-year-old veteran slot man mostly served as the team's punt returner last year and will once again play a depth role at the receiver position in 2024 behind Jahan Dotson. Washington originally made Crowder a fourth-round pick in 2015 out of Duke. His best season came in Year 2 in 2016, when he caught 67 passes for a career-high 847 yards and seven touchdowns in 16 games. Unless injuries strike to several Commanders pass-catchers in 2024, it's unlikely that Crowder will be on the fantasy radar at this stage of his career.