Everyone watched in anticipation as Mike Vrabel announced his coaching staff for the 2025 season. Discussions about the new Patriots staff have since been ongoing, but amidst all this, fans noticed that one major name was absent from Vrabel’s team. That name belongs to former Patriots WR Matthew Slater. Indeed, Slater will not be part of the Patriots staff for the 2025 season. However, the bigger news emerged following Vrabel’s announcement.
Slater soon after announced his NFL exit and revealed how it’s time for him to focus solely on his family. The 39-year-old shared, “I’m a dad and a husband, and that is what’s right for me right now. That’s what I’m most excited about doing. I’ve put that on hold for a lot of years and that’s what I’m going to do in the near future.” Matthew Slater and the Pats have a 17-year-old relationship, and the former NFL WR will never forget that. Slater loves his team and did mention how he will always be supporting the Patriots.
Former #Patriots player and coach Matthew Slater says it is time for him to focus solely on his family.
“I’m a dad and a husband, and that is what’s right for me right now. That’s what I’m most excited about doing. I’ve put that on hold for a lot of years and that’s what I’m… pic.twitter.com/WVBKjNf4tt
— Carlos A. Lopez (@LosTalksPats) February 10, 2025
Well, Matthew Slater was an important part of that Patriots family for a long time, being appointed as special assistant to the HC last year. The Patriots will surely miss the 39-year-old.
With one legend leaving, it seems like Kraft wanted to maintain some balance in the team as he has made sure another has returned. Former Patriots OC Josh McDaniels will be back at Gillette Stadium and Kraft couldn’t be more excited about it. The Patriots owner is optimistic that McDaniels will be a great asset to Vrabel and help bring the glory days back to New England.
Talking about McDaniels, Kraft revealed how it was Vrabel’s idea to get McDaniels back in: “When we interviewed Mike and asked whom he might be interested in bringing on, without a pause, his first one was to bring Josh McDaniels because he thought it would be something very special for Drake.” Well, this is interesting, isn’t it? Vrabel’s seven seasons and McDaniels’ years under Belichick suggest Kraft is relying on those familiar with the Patriots’ past success to restore their winning ways.
Patriots center is excited to work with Josh McDaniels again
McDaniels is a Patriots legend, and it is not just Kraft and Vrabel who are happy with his return to the franchise. Pats center David Andrews also shared his thoughts on the new coaching regime. For Andrews, it will be the first time working with Vrabel, but he will find a familiar face in McDaniels. Talking about it he said, “Excited. Excited to have Josh back. Obviously, have a great relationship with him. Had a lot of success with him. Really believe in a lot of stuff he does.”
Clearly, McDaniels’ return has been accepted well by everyone in New England. It will now be interesting to see how the move pans out. It will surely be really exciting to see how the rookie QB, Drake Maye, and McDaniels work together. McDaniels spent the majority of his time as OC with Brady as the QB and while that was undoubtedly a brilliant partnership, how he and Maye work together we are yet to be seen. It seems like there will be some really exciting times ahead at Gillette Stadium.
The changes in the Patriots’ coaching staff have certainly generated a lot of buzz. With McDaniels returning and Vrabel leading the charge, there’s a lot of potential for the coming season. It’s exciting to see how this mix of old and new will come together.
The post Key Patriots Weapon, Fired by Mike Vrabel, Announces NFL Exit as Robert Kraft Clears Stance on Josh McDaniels appeared first on EssentiallySports.