2022 NFL free agency: Patriots reportedly set to re-sign captain Matthew Slater for 15th season

Matthew Slater will be heading back to the New England Patriots for a 15th season.

According to Field Yates of ESPN, the Patriots are set to reach a one-year, $2.62 million contract with the perennial special teams captain, who was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on Wednesday. The new pact is fully guaranteed.

The NFL’s legal tampering period opened Monday at 12 p.m. ET.

Slater, 36, has appeared in 206 games for New England since arriving in the fifth round of the 2008 draft at pick No. 153 overall. His tenure includes 11 campaigns as a team captain and 10 campaigns as a Pro Bowler.

The latest selection arrived in 2021 for Slater, who led the kicking game with 79.95 percent of the snaps played. The three-time Super Bowl champion, five-time All-Pro and member of the franchise’s All-Decade team was credited with 11 tackles in the process.

In February, Slater received the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award, which is presented each year to an NFL player who demonstrates the on-field qualities of sportsmanship, including fair play, respect for opponents and integrity in competition.

The UCLA product had signed a two-year, $5.5 million deal with the Patriots in March 2020.