Recently-retired Matthew Slater has accepted full-time position with Patriots, per report

Slater announced his retirement from football earlier this year.

The New England Patriots have not seen the last of Matthew Slater. The long-time team captain, who announced his retirement from pro football earlier this year, will stay with the team in a full-time staff role.

According to a report by ESPN’s Mike Reiss, Slater was offered other opportunities but eventually decided to continue working with the Patriots. His role has been described as being a “right-hand man” to first-year head coach Jerod Mayo as well as an assistant in “people development” questions.

The writing for Slater sticking around was on the wall already. When the Patriots opened their offseason workout program in early April, after all, the 38-year-old was part of the group welcoming players back into the building.

“I didn’t think he was done anyway,” said safety Jabrill Peppers at the time. “So, I think this is his way to stay engaged but take the load off of his body, get some more time with the family, but also still be a part of the organization and doing the thing he loves to do.”

Slater originally arrived in New England as a fifth-round selection in the 2008 NFL Draft, the same year the team drafted Mayo in the first round. Over the next 16 years he developed into one of the franchise’s cornerstone players due to his impressive special teams play and locker room leadership. The three-time Super Bowl winner appeared in a combined 264 regular season and playoff games as a Patriot.

Slater announced his retirement in late February, but has remained in close contact with the team ever since.

“I love the game of football. I love everything that it entails,” Slater said earlier this offseason. “And as I transition into this next phase in my life, certainly I love being involved however I can — in a way that makes sense for my family and I.”

It appears his new full-time role with the Patriots fulfills that criterion.