Defensive tackle T.J. Slaton will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason. The Green Bay Packers have important decisions to make this offseason on potential free agents. The team has plenty of cap space to work with and GM Brian Gutekunst can free up more cap space by restructuring some player contracts. One player the team needs to decide on is Slaton. Today we examine whether or not the Packers should bring T.J. Slaton back in 2025.
Why the Packers Should Re-Sign DT T.J. Slaton
The Packers selected Slaton in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. The former University of Florida star has not missed a game in four seasons with the Packers. He became a starter in 2023 and started all 17 games over the last two seasons.
Slaton finished the season with 30 total tackles including two tackles for loss. He recorded one sack, giving him two in four seasons with the team.
The Packers run defense improved significantly in 2024. The new defense installed by Jeff Hafley featured a more aggressive approach and a four-man front. Slaton played a big part in that improvement. The run defense ranked seventh in the NFL in yards allowed and third in yards allowed per carry.
Slaton’s original role was at nose tackle in a three-man front. While that specific role changed under Hafley, the Packers do not have another player on their current roster who fills Slaton’s role and stands 6’4” and weights 330 pounds.
Why the Packers Should Not Re-Sign DT TJ Slaton
Despite being a starter, Slaton is not an every-down player. He comes out on passing downs because he does not provide much in the way of pass rush. What he does provide is the ability to stop the run. Slaton ties up opposing blockers and even when he isn’t making tackles, he frees up teammates to make tackles against the run.
In 2024, Slaton played just 39 percent of the team’s defensive snaps. Essentially, he is a one or two down player who plays a specific role.
Ironically, Pro Football Focus graded Slaton better as a pass rusher than a run defender. In fact, he graded out in the bottom 10 percent of the interior defensive lineman who played enough snaps to be ranked. He graded out below average as a pass rusher and poorly against the run. That does not match the role he plays in the defense.
After four seasons in the NFL, Slaton is essentially what he is. That means the Packers can likely find a replacement run stuffer for less money than they’d have to pay to bring Slaton back.
What Will T.J. Slaton Would Cost?
Slaton carried a cap hit of a little more than $3.18 million in the final year of his rookie contract. He would no doubt be able to earn at least that much if he signs a deal with a new team as an unrestricted free agent. A fair estimate of his new deal would be an annual cap hit of between $4 and $4.5 million per season.
The 2025 NFL Draft is deep at defensive tackle. The Packers should be able to find a role player with similar skills to Slaton’s on day three of the draft and sign him to an entry level contract for the next four seasons. Of course, there is no guarantee the rookie would be able to match Slaton’s performance right away, although it’s also possible he could turn out to be better than Slaton has been.
It would probably make sense for Slaton to seek more money elsewhere. If he isn’t offered a more lucrative deal, Slaton could be back. He is a competent role player who does his job well without much fanfare. But the odds are he’ll be better off testing the market and signing elsewhere.
