The Packers spent Tuesday looking at a familiar name for a very familiar problem.
Green Bay brought in guard Kevin Zeitler for a visit, and that alone will get attention from a fan base that has been clamoring for help up front after the first three games of the season. Zeitler, a former Wisconsin Badger and Milwaukee native, earned Pro Bowl recognition in 2023 with the Baltimore Ravens and has become one of the more recognizable veteran linemen on the market.
He’s a free agent now after the last two seasons with the Detroit Lions and Tennessee Titans. Zeitler has 213 career NFL starts, and he played last year on a one-year, $9 million deal with Tennessee. His current asking price isn’t known, though an update listed his range at $6 million to $8 million.
Per Bill Huber of Sports Illustrated, there’s no indication yet that the Packers will actually sign him. Still, the interest is easy to understand. Green Bay’s offensive line has been under the microscope, and a local veteran like Zeitler would instantly become one of the more talked-about additions the team could make.
There’s one catch: the roster math is messy. The Packers’ 53-man roster is full, so any signing would require a corresponding move.
That gets complicated because when Green Bay added Laken Tomlinson to the active roster from the New York Giants’ practice squad, the team had to commit to keeping him there for three weeks. In other words, Tomlinson can’t simply be moved out right away to make space.
Green Bay does have two open practice squad spots after releasing running back Damon Bakston and offensive lineman Cordell Volson earlier in the day.
Zeitler was not the only player the Packers checked on Tuesday. His appearance was listed as a visit in the NFL transaction report, which means he did not go through an on-field workout with the team.
The Packers did have a group of players in for workouts, including defensive linemen. That position is worth watching after Green Bay released Eric Johnson II, its only interior defensive lineman on the practice squad, on Monday to make room for the signing of Mekhi Becton.
Since the cutdown deadline, the Packers’ list of visits and tryouts has continued to grow:
QB Jack Plummer
QB Cam Miller
RB Phil Mafah (signed by Giants)
RB Damon Bankston (signed and released by Packers)
RB Ian Wheeler
WR Nick Nash
WR Bryce Oliver (signed by Texans)
WR Quincy Skinner Jr. (signed by Packers)
WR Coleman Owen
WR Dontae Fleming
TE Cody Hardy
OL Cordell Volson (signed and released by Packers)
OL Mekhi Becton (signed by Packers)
OL Robert Jones (signed by 49ers)
OL Kevin Zeitler
DL Zxavian Harris (they got in trouble for this)
DL Eric Johnson II (signed and released by Packers)
DL Jalen Hunt
DL Gabe Hall
DL David Blay
ED Cruz Smith (international exemption player from Australia, per sources)
CB Ambry Thomas
S Sanoussi Kane
S Kahlef Hailassie (signed by Packers)
S John Saunders Jr. (signed by Jets)
S Chris Edmonds
S Wande Owens
S Juanyeh Thomas
In Other News...
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Xavier McKinney and Tucker Kraft both expressed confidence in LaFleur, saying the team trusts its coach and believes it can still improve. They also acknowledged the frustration that followed the Week Three loss, which has only sharpened the pressure outside the building, but inside the locker room the emphasis remains on getting the details cleaned up and finding a way to turn the season around before the noise grows louder. [Read more 🡒]
Tucker Kraft Tries To Walk Back A Frustrating Packers Moment
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Krafts clarification matters because the Packers are already under scrutiny for the product they put on the field, and the last thing the team needed was added noise around a defensive comment directed at its own crowd. He pointed to Christian Watsons response as a better example of how to handle the situation, a small but telling sign that Green Bays players know the line between venting frustration and turning it inward. [Read more 🡒]
Jordan Love Now Has To Answer For A Packers Offensive Mess
Jordan Loves first three weeks have been a mix of promising numbers and obvious frustration, the kind of start that makes it hard to separate the quarterback from the offense around him. He has thrown for 844 yards with eight touchdowns and two interceptions, but the production has come with uneven efficiency and eight sacks, while Green Bay has had to work through injuries up front and a rushing attack that has not done enough to steady things.
Brent Sobleskis Week 3 grade of a D for Love against Atlanta only adds to the pressure on a unit that has looked out of sync at times. For the Packers, the bigger question now is not just whether Love can keep stacking up touchdowns, but whether he can keep answering for an offense that has too often made his job harder than it should be. [Read more 🡒]