The hefty defensive lineman reunites with his former position coach in Cincinnati.
The Green Bay Packers were going to need help on the defensive line this offseason, and now it looks like they’ll need a bit more. Defensive lineman T.J. Slaton will not return to the Packers, instead signing with the Cincinnati Bengals on what’s reported to be a two-year, $15.1 million move. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero was the first on the news.
The Packers selected Slaton in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, and he played a growing role in their defense over the next three seasons. His snaps increased each of his first three years in the league, topping out at 626 in 2023 — 56% of the Packers’ total snaps that season.
But after the 2023 season and Slaton, a natural fit at nose tackle in Joe Barrys’ 3-4 scheme, found himself in a new and unfamiliar position with Jeff Hafley’s arrival. Switching to a 4-3 scheme left Slaton without a position, and he played just 427 regular season snaps in 2024, just 39% of the Packers’ season total.
Over the course of his career in Green Bay, Slaton was a consistent force in the Packers’ run defense, plugging holes with his 6-foot-4, 330-pound frame. He never offered much as a pass rusher, but solid run defense is built out of massive, immovable objects, and Slaton surely can be that for the Bengals, who themselves are going through some defensive line turnover.
Slaton’s departure, however, leaves the Packers’ already thin defensive line even thinner. Kenny Clark took a significant step back last season, and even if he returns to form in 2025, there isn’t much else going on among the Packers’ interior defensive linemen. Devonte Wyatt was effective but oft-injured in 2024, and never will be mistaken for a plus run defender. Karl Brooks, meanwhile, looks about tapped out as a day three pick; solid as he is, there’s probably not much upside remaining. Colby Wooden, meanwhile, seems like a missed pick from the get go, and even though he bulked up last season, he still looked too small to be effective as an interior rusher.
Look for the Packers to add more on the defensive line as they move into year two of the Jeff Hafley era.