The Green Bay Packers moved again Wednesday to stabilize an offensive line that has been among the NFL’s worst through three weeks, signing veteran guard Kevin Zeitler to a one-year contract and putting him on the practice field the same day.
The 36-year-old Wisconsin native becomes the third experienced interior lineman added since last week’s 35-14 home loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Green Bay previously signed Laken Tomlinson to the 53-man roster and Mekhi Becton to the practice squad. The flurry of moves followed a stretch in which the Packers allowed a league-high 51 pressures, an NFL-worst 20 quarterback hits and eight sacks while rushing for just 146 yards on 48 carries.
Zeitler, a Waukesha product and former Wisconsin Badger, signed for a base of $4.05 million with a maximum value of $5 million. He has started 213 of 214 career games, the third-most starts by a guard in NFL history, and earned a Pro Bowl berth with the Baltimore Ravens in 2023. He started all 16 games for the Tennessee Titans last season.
The Packers (1-2) have generated almost no yards before contact in the run game and have been unable to keep quarterback Jordan Love clean despite a fast time-to-throw. Against Atlanta they managed 17 yards on nine rushing attempts. Coach Matt LaFleur said the veteran additions are intended to settle a young group that has struggled in game conditions.
Zeitler did not participate in an offseason training camp and will need time to learn the playbook and reach football shape. He worked on the right side Wednesday, the position he has played almost exclusively throughout a 15-year career that began when the Cincinnati Bengals drafted him 27th overall in 2012.
Speaking with reporters after practice, Zeitler described the approach he plans to take.
“Whatever it takes to get my job done,” he said. “However it looks, whatever it takes, I’m just gonna go out there and play after play, get it done no matter what happens. And game after game, it just keeps getting better.”
LaFleur said Zeitler offers the traits the Packers have been missing.
“I think everything that you’re looking for,” LaFleur said. “He’s stout. He can anchor in pass pro. He’s really effective in the run game, whether it’s zone scheme, gap scheme, he’s done it all. So, there’s nothing he hasn’t seen or done. We’ve just got to get him ramped up.”
Asked whether Zeitler would start Sunday at Tampa Bay, LaFleur was cautious.“Well, we’ve got to get him into practice. Certainly, there’s going to be a ramp-up period for him. As soon as he feels good and ready to go, he’ll be in there.”
The coach also addressed the broader overhaul.“I think it just calms down the O-line. When you have veterans in there who have been through the war — certainly we’ve got young guys playing beside them — that can definitely settle things down. We’re just trying to get these guys integrated, get them up to speed, ramp them up and see what they can do.”
Jacob Monk, who started the first three games at right guard, allowed one sack and 11 pressures in that span. Rookie Jager Burton has also struggled after being inserted at left guard because of an injury to Aaron Banks. Pro Football Focus graded Green Bay’s line last in the league in pass blocking at 41.7. Zeitler finished last season with a 92.2 percent pass-block win rate according to one tracking service. Those numbers, combined with his durability, made him an attractive option after he sat unsigned through the first three weeks. Green Bay visits the 0-3 Buccaneers on Sunday. The Packers have not finished last in the NFC North since 2005, but they sit fourth in the division after the uneven start. LaFleur said every area of the team must improve. The additions of Zeitler, Tomlinson and Becton give the Packers a combined 434 career starts among the three newcomers. How quickly the new pieces can mesh will determine whether the offense can generate the running game and protection that have been missing. Zeitler’s history of availability is rare. He has appeared in at least 15 games in 11 consecutive seasons before this year. At this stage of his career the question is whether the veteran still has enough left to help a unit that has been a collective failure so far. The Packers hope the answer arrives sooner rather than later. A 1-2 record after three games has already tested the patience of a fan base that expected contention. The next test comes in Tampa.
Be the first to comment