Grading Packers’ Signing of Kevin Zeitler, Which Capped Sweeping OL Makeover

GREEN BAY, Wis. – When the Green Bay Packers lined up to face the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday, left guard Jager Burton was making his first career start and right guard Jacob Monk was making his fourth.

Not too long from now – perhaps as soon as Sunday’s game at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but perhaps more likely when they host the Chicago Bears the following Sunday – the Packers will have Laken Tomlinson’s 162 starts at left guard (if Aaron Banks is still out) and Kevin Zeitler’s 213 career starts at right guard.

That’s 375 career starts vs. five, with the Packers going from what probably was the most inexperienced guard tandem in the NFL in Banks’ absence to what’s got to be the most experienced guard pairing. Plus, with the addition of Mekhi Becton to the practice squad – the 27-year-old has started 59 games in his career – the Packers have an abundance of proven players at a position group at which they had almost none.

The Experience Factor for Kevin Zeitler

Zeitler grew up in Wisconsin and started at Wisconsin, where he was a consensus first-team All-American in 2011. The Bengals drafted him in the first round in 2012; Tomlinson and Becton were first-round picks, too.

During the past 11 seasons, from 2015 through 2025, he’s never started fewer than 15 games. He started 16 games for the Lions in 2024 and 16 games for Titans last season.

“Zeitler has done it for such a long time,” Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi said last year. “It’s amazing – he’s 35-years-old and he is still one of the best guards in football. And he brings an element of dependability, toughness and strength inside the pocket.”

He will immediately fix the team’s enormous hole at right guard. In regular-season play, he’s played 13,985 snaps at the position. Most of those were high-level snaps.

Zeitler is 36 but some linemen can play forever – relatively speaking – because they are so talented, so savvy and so in tune with what it takes to be a success. That’s Zeitler. According to Pro Football Focus, Zeitler gave up four sacks and 16 total pressures while protecting for a rookie quarterback last season.

The man he’ll eventually replace, Monk, allowed one sack and 11 total pressures in three games.

Plus, he has a career worth of rugged run blocking, a trait learned from those mauling Badgers offensive lines.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) throws as guard Kevin Zeitler (70) provides protection. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

The experience, again, can’t be overstated. With Tomlinson having played 10,467 snaps at left guard (and Banks playing 3,344), the Packers will have a seen-everything-imaginable duo to help with the pass-protection problems that had plagued the team through three games.

“Yeah, that’s the tough part,” offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said on Tuesday following the additions of Tomlinson and Becton. “When you have a bunch of young guys in there in those big moments, that’s always hard. Those guys competed and again, we’re not crowning anyone the starter or anything like that. We’re just going to take the week as it goes and just kind of evaluate it from there.”

Zeitler will help on the field and in the locker room. The Packers might be benching Burton and Monk but they’re certainly not giving up on them. That’s especially true of Burton, a promising fifth-round rookie.

“A guy that’s played as much football as he’s played, the experiences he’s had, a lot of different systems too, a couple different teams,” former Titans coach Brian Callahan said last year. “He’s a pro’s pro, and his ability to communicate with those guys and be a voice of perspective is always really helpful.

“And the caliber of player that he is, even at his age, the way he takes care of himself, the things he does to get ready to play is an example you want guys to follow. He’s phenomenal when it comes to taking care of himself. He’s very regimented. He’s really an asset for all of our younger players, in particular guys up front. It’s good to have him here.”

The Titans’ offensive line coach most of the past two seasons was the esteemed Bill Callahan, who has almost three decades of NFL experience.

“I love Zeitler,” he said. “He’s fun to be around with, because he’s a vet who loves football. So, his enthusiasm … it’s like he’s a rookie again. He takes it very seriously. He wants to know everything. He has such a thirst for knowledge and more techniques and more ideas and more strikes. Anything you can give him, he’s hungry for.

“That’s unique for a 14-, 15-year vet, to see a guy who’s willing to come in and adapt and change and look at new ideas. So that old story of you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? I think that’s a little different for him. I think you can, and he wants to.”

Grading the Signing of Kevin Zeitler

With that, Green Bay’s sweeping makeover of the offensive line (probably) is complete. With Tomlinson, the Packers have an experienced Plan B for Banks, who has played only one-half of three games. With Zeitler, the Packers have an experienced, quality starter to replace Monk.

Zeitler is 36, making him one of the older players in the NFL. What makes him tick?

“A lot of people say: What the heck are you still doing (playing)?” Zeitler said upon joining the Titans. “I love ball. Ball is going to go away some day, but not yet. I am going to go as long as I can do it well.”

Wisconsin native, former Wisconsin standout and longtime NFL starting right guard Kevin Zeitler is ready to roll if he finds the right opportunity, according to a source. (At age 36, that means a team that can win.) He's only played about 14,000 snaps at right guard.
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) September 14, 2026

After not being on a team for training camp, it’s going to take Zeitler a little time to get into football shape. Once he’s ready to roll, he will be an enormous asset – and, quite possibly, a season-saving asset given the team’s problems on the offensive line. He’ll be a rock alongside young-at-the-position center Sean Rhyan and young right tackle Anthony Belton.

This quote after he signed with the Ravens in 2023 speaks to his motivation and drive

“Not coming to OTAs for the first time kind of made it really clear [that] I still need this game, I love this game and I want to play this game. I have no intention of stopping anytime soon,” he said.

“When I’m here with my teammates, I owe it to them to work hard every day and do whatever we can to try to get this team a Super Bowl.”

The only thing keeping this from being an A-plus is Zeitler wasn’t signed in time for him to be in the starting lineup for Week 1. Thinking the Packers’ line would be fine was a catastrophic miscalculation by general manager Brian Gutekunst. He rallied, though, in the best possible way.

Simply put, the Packers replaced one of the worst starting guards in the NFL with a player who at least will be average from Day 1 and whose history suggests he will be very good. That is an enormous win for coach Matt LaFleur, a putrid running game and, especially, quarterback Jordan Love.

Grade: A.

Risers? Fallers?

Here's a Packers stock report through the first three games. ⬇️https://t.co/vaCnlFsoxK
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) September 29, 2026

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