Who Should I Start? Matthew Slater or Nico Collins

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, February 26, 2:07 PM

Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins made it known that he'd be open to contract-extension talks if the team approached him. After three seasons in the NFL, Collins is now eligible for an extension. He'll be entering the final year of his four-year, $4.871 million rookie contract in 2024, which includes a $902,990 signing bonus and a base salary of $1.324 million this year. "Oh man, I would love that," Collins said when asked about potentially launching early contract discussions. "That would be great." Coming off a breakthrough 2023 campaign in which he caught 80 passes for 1,297 yards and eight touchdowns in 15 regular-season games, Collins will be in high demands in fantasy drafts this fall while paired with impressive young quarterback C.J. Stroud. In two playoff games, Collins had 11 receptions for 164 yards and a touchdown on 17 targets.