Everyone watched in anticipation as New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel announced his coaching staff for the 2025 season. The list was meticulous, but what stole the show instead was the absence of a name nobody expected.

Long-time special teamer-turned-coach Matthew Slater will not be a part of the team this upcoming season. The 39-year-old had reportedly joined the coaching staff as an assistant to now-fired England coach Jerod Mayo ahead of the 2024 season. However, as Mayo was shown the door by owner Robert Kraft—owing to the team’s poor performance and a dilapidated 4-13 record—Slater stands face to face with the same fate, it seems. However, there’s a new twist in the tale…

Soon after his unceremonious departure, Slater took it up a notch by announcing an NFL exit altogether. Appearing in an interview with WBZ-TV’s Dan Roche at the Boston Winter Ball at the Omni Seaport Hotel on February 7, the former special assistant to the head coach said, “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. “I’ve had a tremendous experience as a Patriot. They’ve been nothing but good to me. They allowed me to live out my childhood dream and I’m very thankful for that. I’m thankful for all the Kraft family has done for me and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. I’ll always be a Patriots fan and always support the team. Right now, it’s important that I support my family and that’s what I’m going to do moving forward,” he mentioned.

Well, Matthew Slater was undeniably an important part of that Patriots family, winning three Super Bowl in the process.

Having said that, with one legend leaving, Kraft wanted to maintain a certain balance in the team as he has made sure another veteran returns.

Former Patriots OC Josh McDaniels will be back at Gillette Stadium for a third stint, and the Patriots’ owner couldn’t be more excited. He seems 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? It seems Kraft is relying on those familiar with the Patriots’ past success to restore their winning ways.

Notably, the 83-year-old is not the only one pumped to get an old team member back…

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 the team. It will now be interesting to see how the move pans out. What’s more interesting? How Drake Maye and his new OC work things out! McDaniels spent the majority of his role with Brady as the QB and, while that was undoubtedly a brilliant partnership, how he and the team’s new QB work together is yet to be seen.

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.