The Packers finally filled the hole that had been staring everyone in the face.
Green Bay went out and brought in veteran guard Kevin Zeitler, a move that makes immediate sense for a team that has needed help on the offensive line, especially inside. Zeitler, a Wisconsin native and former Badger All-American, was available after spending the offseason rehabbing a quad injury, and Packers fans had already spent weeks imagining him as the answer at guard. The team saw the same fit and acted on it.
Zeitler isn’t a cure-all for everything going wrong with the Packers’ offense. But if he can steady one of those interior spots and stop the kind of free rushers that have been getting through far too often, that alone would give Jordan Love a much better chance to direct a functional offense.
The ripple effect could be bigger than just one player. With the recent changes up front, an outside zone running approach looks far less likely.
If the line eventually settles with Aaron Banks or Laken Tomlinson at left guard, Zeitler at right guard and Anthony Belton at tackle, Green Bay appears headed back toward a power run game. That would at least seem to fit a bigger back like Kaleb Johnson, even if he ran in a zone scheme in college.
There’s still plenty the Packers have to clean up beyond Zeitler. The coaching staff and the rest of the lineup have to hold up their end too. But the addition has the feel of a move that could change the tone of Green Bay’s 2026 season.
And the competition on the interior may already be shifting. Packers Wire noted that it’s hard to picture even a rusty Zeitler doing worse than Jacob Monk has through three games this year. Meanwhile, Zeitler also addressed when Green Bay first reached out to him.
The guard picture may keep evolving quickly. Between Zeitler and Laken Tomlinson, who took the No. 1 reps at left guard on Wednesday, the Packers could have a new-look interior line in place as soon as Sunday.
The bottom line is simple: Green Bay doesn’t need its line to be perfect, but it does need enough protection for Jordan Love to be himself. The run game still isn’t something the Packers can count on right now. If they can at least keep Love from getting hit fast and often, he has enough talent to steer a good offense.
In Other News...
Packers Add Depth Before Buccaneers Test But One Question Lingers
The Packers continued building out their depth chart before their Week 4 trip to face the Buccaneers, adding wide receiver Coleman Owen and defensive tackle David Blay to the practice squad. Its the kind of move teams make this time of year when injuries, special teams roles and weekly matchup planning can quickly push players from the back end of the roster into more meaningful work.
Owen enters his second NFL season after appearing in two games with the Colts last year, while Blay has already had stops with the Patriots and Eagles this offseason. Both are now officially on Green Bays practice squad, giving the team some added flexibility as it prepares for a tough test in Tampa Bay and leaving open the question of which of these fresh additions might matter first if the Packers need help in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Are Still Paying For One Costly Offensive Line Miss
The Packers are still feeling the ripple effects of a 2021 draft decision that looked sensible at the time but has aged badly. Green Bay chose Josh Myers over Creed Humphrey, and while Myers was a steady enough presence for stretches, Humphrey quickly became one of the leagues best centers in Kansas City, stacking up Pro Bowl and All-Pro recognition while the Packers kept trying to stabilize the middle of their line.
Myers is gone now, having left after the 2024 season for the Jets, but the move only shifted the problem rather than solving it. Green Bay has since moved Elgton Jenkins to center and brought in Aaron Banks, yet injuries have complicated that plan and left the Packers still searching for the kind of offensive line continuity they never got from the original call at center. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Run Game Concerns Just Sparked A Veteran Back Debate
The early-season issues in the Packers running game have already pushed the front office to make moves up front, with Green Bay signing three veteran offensive linemen in search of more stability. But the ripple effect has naturally led to a broader conversation about whether the backfield itself could use a jolt, especially as the team tries to find a more reliable rhythm on the ground.
Antonio Gibson, who was recently released by the New England Patriots, has surfaced as a possible free-agent fit in analyst chatter, even though there has been no official indication the Packers are pursuing him. Green Bays current running back room is under the microscope as the team weighs its options, and Gibsons career track record and injury history add another layer to a debate that is still more speculation than substance. [Read more 🡒]