Patriots Pride: ‘Elite’ Captains Win Possible Foxboro Farewell

Have the two 12-time team captains played their final regular season home game at Gillette Stadium?

FOXBORO — As the New England Patriots walked from the  the Gillette Stadium to the locker room following their 23-21 victory over the Miami Dolphins, the vast majority of the team immediately began to turn their attention to an impending Week 18 matchup with the Buffalo Bills. 

However, a prominent pair of ‘dynasty-era’ Pats took a bit more time to savor the moment. 

Team captains Matthew Slater and Devin McCourty have been mainstays on New England’s roster since 2008 and 2010 respectively. Each is the three-time Super Bowl Champion and a 12-time team captain; along with being among the most-respected team leaders in franchise history. 

In short, it is hard to envision a Patriots team without both Devin McCourty and Matthew Slater. 

Unfortunately for Patriots fans, that concept may soon become a reality. 

Deeply entrenched in the twilight of their careers, the legendary duo individually realized on New Year’s Day that they may be leaving their home field for the final time in a Patriots uniform. 

“I took a moment,” McCourty told reporters following Sunday’s game. “Spent some time with my family on the field. It's been a great run. To come out here, if this was the last one, I think to be able to leave Gillette with a win, very similar to how my first-ever game was a win. I've had a lot of fun. 

Since being drafted in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft, McCourty has been a stalwart in the Pats defense. Following his conversion from cornerback to safety, the Rutgers product has been one of the Pats most prolific on-field defenders, as well as one of its most respected leaders in the locker room.

Throughout his career, McCourty has appeared in a combined 228 regular season and playoff games as a member of the Patriots. He has been voted to two Pro Bowls, three All-Pro teams and the Patriots’ Team of the 2010s.

Despite his accolades, McCourty was quick to reflect on the moments with his teammates and those at the Stadium which have helped to make his 13 seasons with the Pats memorable. 

“These guys [my teammates] have been awesome to go out here and compete with. You never know how football goes. But I'd be lying if I said I didn't think about it before the game, and just now. Give a high five to the Minutemen, something I've done over and over and over again after wins. Just kind of think about that, let that settle in, just trying to make sure I stay in the moment, enjoy. But definitely gave it a few seconds today.”

Elsewhere on the field, Slater found himself almost identical feels to his longtime teammate. 

“You know, as much as I try to block it out and focus on doing my job, it certainly dawned on me today that this very well could be my last game here,” Slater acknowledged. “I don’t know what my future holds. I haven’t spent a ton of time thinking about it, I’ve been trying to stay in the moment. I certainly took time to appreciate being in this stadium and running out of that tunnel today.”

Like McCourty, Slater is no stranger to individual praise and honors. He is a 15-year NFL veteran, having played his entire career with the Patriots. Slater has earned 10 Pro Bowl nods as a special teamer, the most special teams’ Pro Bowl honors in NFL history. His leadership, on and off the field, has earned him the respect and admiration of his coaches and teammates. 

“Saw a couple of signs that were thanking D-Mac [Devin McCourty] and myself,” Slater said. “I don’t know what either of us have in store but I think when you get to this stage of it, you try to take in every moment and savor it. I think some of the players and coaches knowing that I’m not sure of what my future have expressed gratitude and that meant a lot to me, and just told me they loved me and it just means so much, it really does.”

If the sun is indeed setting on the duo’s time in the Foxboro fold, both McCourty and Slater have made indelible impressions on the organization, as well as the community. Most notably, they have earned the respect of the only head coach for which they have played to date.  

“Devin has done about everything a player could do for this program,” said Patriots coach Bill Belichick. “Say the same thing about Matt Slater as an overall special teams player and the leadership he brought to the team, along with Devin.

“What those two guys have done, what they mean to this organization, what they mean to me personally, what they’ve done here, it’s pretty impressive, pretty elite.”

Ever the professionals, both McCourty and Slater are well aware that the mission for the 2022 Patriots has yet to be completed. The team faces a tough task in facing the 12-3 Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on Sunday. With a win, the Patriots will secure a spot in the playoffs. 

For the two team captains who have come to embody the essence of the ‘Patriot Way,’ their focus will remain on Buffalo, as it will for each of their teammates, as well. 

“We're going to go out there and play together, give it our best shot for 60 minutes. I think that's something we can live with. Anything else I think will crush us as individuals. I think that's why you see this team coming out here next week, practice our butts off, go out there in Buffalo and try to get in the playoffs.”

The Bills and Patriots are set for a 1 p.m. ET kickoff on Sunday, Jan 8. 

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Follow Mike D’Abate on Twitter @mdabateNFL and Listen/Subscribe to his daily podcast: Locked On Patriots

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