New England Patriots' long-time leader and special teams standout Matthew Slater offered high praise of Bill Belichick following the abrupt end to the Patriots vs Packers game caused by rookie cornerback Isaiah Bolden's injury.

Slater started off his post-game press conference by praising Belichick's reaction time under the pressing circumstances.

"I really appreciate what Belichick did tonight," Slater told reporters. "He took the initiative on that. Clearly, our team was shaken by what happened. That was one of the proudest moments I've had as a guy who's played for him for 16 years.

Slater went on to offer praise for Bolden, "He's been a joy to be around. He's a young man with a lot of talent, always has a smile on his face, is always positive, and is always bringing great energy and effort to practice. All the guys love him. He's fit into our locker room seamlessly."

The Patriots ended the game with 10:29 left in the fourth quarter after rookie seventh-round draft pick Isaiah Bolden suffered a head injury following contact with a teammate. 

It was a scary scene, as Bolden was down on the field for a few minutes and the stadium went silent. Patriots and Packers players gathered on one knee around Bolden before he was eventually stretchered off and taken to a local hospital for further evaluation. You can find the teams' most recent update below:

Patriots provide update on Isaiah Bolden’s health after frightening injury

Isaiah Bolden was carted off the field in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s preseason game against the Packers.

Featured image via Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports