T.J. Slaton is rolling with the punches and ready to tackle any role that comes his way with the Bengals this fall. His first season in stripes did not go well and it indirectly led to big investments along the defensive line around him. Slaton posted a 44 Pro Football Focus grade last season (116th out of 134 qualified DTs) after tallying 19 total pressures as a pass rusher. That mark included three sacks, 12 hurries, and four hits. Against the run, he recorded 35 solo tackles.He was a big reason why Cincinnati had just a 10.2% run-stuff rate last season (worst in the NFL since 2021). Enter Dexter Lawrence and Jonathan Allen, and you get a much murkier path to playing time for Slaton, who holds a $9.1 million cap hit this season. Controlling What He Can ControlArizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett (7) runs from Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle T.J. Slaton Jr. (98) in the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 17 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Arizona Cardinals at Paycor Stadium in Downtown Cincinnati on Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. The Bengals won 37-14. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesCincinnati would save over $6.5 million against the cap if it released him. Slaton dove into his mindset with WLWT's Charlie Clifford during offseason workouts.“Just putting one foot after the other—it is what it is," Slaton told WLWT recently. "It is a business at the end of the day, and you have to control the things that you can control. If I can show up here every day, work hard, put my best foot forward, and have a good attitude, then that is what I’m going to do."Slaton, 28, could still be a strong rotation player on this defensive line, and may be even more impactful in a limited role after playing the second-most single-season snaps of his career last campaign (582).Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin noted the team build is pretty complete at this point in the calendar, so keeping Slaton may already be locked in."We plan to always add as many good pieces as we can," Tobin said after the 2026 NFL Draft. "The star of the show is Katie (Blackburn), and she was able to fit it all together. We're at the top of the league in spending. She makes that work. It really was exceptional, because we had opportunities come to us that we weren't expecting financially, and she was able to still make it work, which was sensational.""After free agency, our team is pretty complete. We didn't have a lot of holes. We have a lot of guys who have played a lot of football. We have young guys who are just starting to find their groove and play really well for us. So, it frees you up a little bit. You don't want to be drafting for starters. If your draftees become starters, that's great, but you don't want to be reliant on them to start immediately, and that's not where our team is."The 330-pounder has never graded above 63 overall on PFF, so a massive jump in production isn't likely entering Year 6, but with a strong mindset, Slaton could still help turn things around in the trenches this fall.Sign Up For Our DAILY Newsletter for More Free Coverage of the Cincinnati Bengals Delivered to You DirectlyFor more on the Bengals, subscribe to our YouTube Channel and be sure to check us out on your favorite audio platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and Amazon. Make sure you bookmark BengalsTalk.com for the latest Bengals news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more! We're a one-stop shop for all things Cincinnati Bengals! Join the 65,000+ Bengals fans who subscribe to us on YouTube. Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow