Kevin Zeitler’s path to Green Bay turned out to be a little less mysterious once he explained the delay.
The Packers have spent the week trying to patch up an offensive line that has been a clear problem, and Zeitler is the most interesting of the new additions. Green Bay also brought in Laken Tomlinson and Mekhi Becton, but Zeitler stands out because of the kind of player he’s been for years: steady, proven, and usually hard to find sitting in free agency.
That’s what made his availability so surprising in the first place. Drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2012, Zeitler has long been one of the league’s most reliable guards.
Even last season with the Tennessee Titans, he played 16 games and graded well by PFF standards, finishing 13th among guards. He was 21st in run blocking and ninth in pass blocking.
He also posted the 14th-lowest pressure rate allowed at 3.8%.
His numbers were even more notable considering the situation around him. The stat that circulated alongside his signing pointed out that Cam Ward was responsible for 30.4% of his own pressure, the fourth-highest rate in the NFL, while Jordan Love had the fourth-lowest rate at 5.7%.
So why was Zeitler still on the market? He answered that during his first brief media session after signing. The 36-year-old said he had surgery on his quad, and that pushed back the timing of his next deal.
"I've been all over the country training. Nashville, L.A., Baltimore, here, so I've been all over the country getting the best training, treatment, keeping the body ready and I think all that, in various ways I've done it, it honestly has me feeling great," said Zeitler (via The Athletic's Matt Schneidman).
For Green Bay, this is the kind of move that can change the look of an offensive line quickly. Becton and Tomlinson may help, but Zeitler is the one who feels like a true plug-and-play answer at guard, someone the Packers can drop in and count on right away.
Even with that, the work isn’t close to finished. The Packers are trying to remake their offensive line in the middle of the season, and there are still moving parts because several linemen are working back from injuries. That leaves the final lineup uncertain, including who will be out there this weekend against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Still, Green Bay has at least taken real action. Zeitler, Becton, and Tomlinson give the Packers a chance to stabilize things, even if the payoff won’t be known until they start playing together.
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