A prodigal son is coming home. Kevin Zeitler, a 14-year veteran and Pro Bowl right guard, is returning back to the state of Wisconsin to sign with the Green Bay Packers.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the Packers are signing Zeitler on Wednesday, one day after he worked out for the team. Zeitler, who comes out of unofficial retirement with the signing, becomes the third veteran guard and second former Pro Bowler to sign with the Packers since the team’s Week 3 loss last Thursday night, joining
Laken Tomlinson (signed to the 53-man roster) and Mekhi Becton (practice squad).
Zeitler, a Waukesha native, played for the Wisconsin Badgers during some of their finest seasons in recent memory, serving as the team’s starting right guard from 2009 to 2011. The Badgers won double-digit games in each of those three years and made two Rose Bowl appearances, while Zeitler earned first-team All-American honors as a senior in 2011. He then became a first-round draft pick in 2012, selected 27th overall by the Cincinnati Bengals.
In his 14 NFL seasons, Zeitler has played for six different teams, but has remained a quality, steady player at every single stop. Most recently, he started 16 games for the Tennessee Titans in 2025 while on a one-year, $9 million contract. Unlike Tomlinson and Becton, Zeitler likely will draw a significant salary for the remainder of the season.
The move was telegraphed a bit by Becton changing his jersey number almost immediately after signing earlier in the week:
Zeitler’s lone Pro Bowl appearance came at age 33, earning the honor for the 2023 season as a member of the Baltimore Ravens. He then signed a one-year, $6 million deal with the Detroit Lions for 2024, making 16 starts, before landing in Tennessee a year ago.
This is easily the highest-profile and most significant of the three signings this week, however. Once up to speed with the Packers’ offense, Zeitler should be an immediate upgrade over Jacob Monk at right guard while the Packers continue working to sort out the left guard position with a battle between the likes of Tomlinson, Aaron Banks, and others.
