When the Green Bay Packers signed Kevin Zeitler on September 30, it seemed like a safe bet that the veteran offensive lineman would crack the starting lineup sooner rather than later. Zeitler has now been with the team for over a month and has played 15 snaps on field-goal protection, but not a single offensive snap. He was a healthy scratch for what would have been his first game with the team against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and again for the Week 7 matchup against the Detroit Lions.
So, what gives?
“Well, when we signed him, he was coming off an injury with his knee, so it was kind of a question mark,” offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said Tuesday. “I think it took him a few weeks to get to the point where he’s at right now, where he was kind of working
his way back into it.”
Zeitler needed surgery for a quad injury he suffered in last year’s regular season finale as a member of the Tennessee Titans. The injury likely contributed to Zeitler remaining unsigned until after the start of the regular season.
Matt LaFleur dismissed the notion that Zeitler had hit a wall in his 15th NFL season.
"No, I don't think so,” LaFleur said. “It's like anybody; he hadn't played football for a long time. He came in, and he's shown improvement every week. Certainly, I don't think he's hit the wall at all.”
Despite being in his mid-30s, Zeitler still played at a high level last season with the Titans. He earned a 74.5 overall PFF grade, which ranked 13th among 81 qualified offensive guards. In 590 pass-blocking snaps, he allowed just 16 pressures.
When the Packers signed Zeitler, Jordan Love was the most-hit quarterback in the league and the running game was nonexistent. However, any improvement from the offense has come without Zeitler’s help. Just days before agreeing to a one-year deal with Zeitler, the team signed veteran offensive guard Laken Tomlinson off of the Dallas Cowboys’ practice squad.
Tomlinson didn’t require a ramp-up period and started right away opposite Travis Glover, a former sixth-round draft pick. Glover was then ruled out with a knee injury against the Carolina Panthers, but Aaron Banks returned after missing four games. The Packers' high-priced 2025 free-agent signing started at left guard, while Tomlinson moved to right guard.
With Banks back and Tomlinson playing well, the Packers see no reason to disrupt the current offensive line grouping.
“What happened was Laken (Tomlinson) came in and really did a tremendous job just coming in and really helping out our team and helping out our offensive line, and really helping us become productive in a lot of senses,” said Stenavich. “It was one of those things where I thought (Zeitler) was going to come in and play, but Laken stepped up and did a nice job. It is what it is right now.”
For now, Zeitler appears likely to remain a reserve, but the coaching staff is confident in his ability if his number is called.
“Would I hesitate to put him in a game? No, I would not,” said Stenavich. “He’s ready to play, and he’s got a great attitude. He’s been awesome throughout this entire process of just learning and working every day to try and get better, so yeah, I would not hesitate to put him in a game at all.”
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Why veteran guard Kevin Zeitler is not yet starting for the Packers
