At last, some good news in New England.

According to the NFL Network, the Patriots barely dodged an opt-out bullet with longtime special teams captain Matthew Slater.

The 34-year-old strongly considered sitting out the 2020 season — following Dont'a Hightower and Patrick Chung among others — but ultimately chose to play one of the final years of his career.

"It was a tough decision, but I will be playing," Slater said via the NFL Network's Mike Garafolo.

Slater made his second All-Pro team and eighth Pro Bowl last season. He blocked one punt and returned another for a touchdown. Even at his advanced age, Slater took 72% of the Patriots' special teams snaps, the highest mark on the team.

According to Garafolo, Slater's exit could have created a domino effect within the team's locker room, as he would have been the second team captain to have opted out in the span of two days.

"It's possible this list could have grown even more if Slater had opted out," he said.

Notes

• Cornerback Stephon Gilmore was voted the No. 9 player in the league this week during the NFL's "Top 100 Players" countdown show. The annual televised rankings are voted on by players across the league. Gilmore was the only Patriot to be included on this year's list. He became the third Patriot ever to crack the top 10, after Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski.

Last season, Gilmore posted career highs with six interceptions, 20 passes defensed and a pair of pick-sixes. His 20 pass breakups led the league. For his efforts, Gilmore was named the Defensive Player of the Year and earned an All-Pro nod, plus his second straight Pro Bowl honor.

• As two team leaders who recently stepped away from their teammates via opt-out, Chung and Hightower stepped up this week by publicly explaining what went into their stunning decisions. Speaking with "CBS This Morning," Chung revealed all the family matters that ultimately motivated him to opt out.

"I'm in the latter end of my career, so I wanted to play football. But when it comes down to it, I feel that money is not that important," Chung said. "I have a girlfriend that's pregnant, a baby girl coming soon, my son has a little asthma, my dad is 75 years old. I just felt like this was the best decision for my family to keep everyone safe. I don't think it's fair to them.

"So I decided to do that. It's not over. It's just postponed a little bit."

What about his call to Bill Belichick telling him he wouldn't play?

"That's private, but he understood," Chung said. "He understands it's a serious pandemic going on. He totally got it. You guys think Bill is this drill sergeant, but he's actually a very caring person. So, he totally understood. And that was it."

• Former Michigan State quarterback Brian Lewerke, who was released by the Patriots Sunday night during a major roster trim-down, has rejoined the team, a league source confirmed.

Lewerke, an undrafted rookie free agent, was one of nine Patriots slashed to get the roster down to the new 80-player limit. But with a half-dozen Patriots opting out due to COVID-19 concerns, there are roster spots to fill.

The Pats also brought back Auburn wide receiver Will Hastings earlier. There's likely more to come.