In terms of leadership in New England, there may not be a more qualified expert witness on the topic than Matthew Slater.
Slater is a 14-year NFL veteran and nine-time special teams Pro Bowler who has been elected a Patriots team captain for each of the last 11 seasons. For more than a decade he’s helped lead New England under the direction of Bill Belichick and alongside great teammates including Tom Brady.
So when Slater observes the leadership style, competitive nature and natural football fire of a guy like Patriots rookie quarterback Mac Jones, his assessments carry plenty of weight. And to say that Slater has been impressed with what he’s seen from Jones since the rookie arrived as the No. 15 overall pick in April’s draft would seemingly be an understatement.
Some have speculated that Jones is too much of a perfectionist and too hard on himself. Or that his ultra-competitive mentality might be a bit too much. In his weekly Monday night appearance on the Mut at Night show on WEEI, Slater didn’t sound like a veteran who sees the need for Jones to rein in his emotions at this early stage of his NFL career.
“Every situation that presents itself is a little bit different and you just handle it in the moment. I think Mac’s already a leader on this football team and he’ll continue to grow in that role and certainly he’s got guys on the offensive side of the ball that will support him and put him in position to be successful as a leader and a as a player,” Slater said. “So, collectively, we’ll do the best that we can to support Mac but at that same time we don’t want to stifle the gifts that he has as a leader. I’m sure that’s an area that he’ll continue to blossom in and ultimately I’m sure the finished product will be a great one.”
Though the Patriots lost Sunday evening’s opener 17-16 to the Dolphins at Gillette Stadium, Slater once again had praise for his rookie QB’s NFL debut even if it left room for improvement for both Jones and the team.
“I’ve said, I really like this young man. I think he’s a great kid,” Slater said. “Certainly, if you ask him, I’m sure there were some things about [Sunday] he liked and I’m sure there were some things he’d like to do over. I think if you asked anyone on our football team they’d give you the same answer. Mac’s our quarterback. We support him. I know he’s going to do a good job for us. He’s going to keep improving and getting better. Hopefully our football team does the same.”