Who Should I Start? Matthew Slater or JJ Arcega-Whiteside

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.

Tuesday, August 29, 6:17 PM

Atlanta Falcons tight end J.J. Arcega-Whiteside was released by the team on Tuesday as they cut their roster down to 53 players. Infamously drafted before D.K. Metcalf, Diontae Johnson, and Terry McLaurin in the 2019 NFL Draft, Arcega-Whiteside was a highly productive receiver at Stanford but never found solid footing at that position in the pros. He's since transitioned to tight end but wasn't able to make the Falcons' final 53. There's a good chance another team will take a chance on him but his days in the NFL appear to be numbered.