The Green Bay Packers’ interior offensive line has been the weak link of the offense for some time. Aaron Banks and Anthony Belton finished last season ranked among the five worst starting guards in pressure rate allowed at their respective positions. Meanwhile, Sean Rhyan is transitioning into a new position heading into 2026. With that in mind, it’s fair to wonder whether it would make sense for Green Bay to at least check in on Kevin Zeitler for a potential short-term solution.
Zeitler is a free agent, having played 16 games with the Tennessee Titans last season. More importantly, durability has never really been an issue for the veteran guard. He has played at least 12 games in every season since the Cincinnati Bengals drafted him in 2012.
The former first-round pick is now 36 years old, but there has been no real sign of regression in his play at this stage of his career. Last season, he allowed just 16 pressures on 590 pass-blocking snaps, a notably cleaner output compared to Banks’ 27 pressures on 435 snaps and Belton’s 23 pressures on 258 snaps. Furthermore, Zeitler posted a 75.4 pass-blocking grade, which would have ranked second among Green Bay’s starters, trailing only Zach Tom.
Zeitler was also an above-average run blocker last season, which is another area where Green Bay needs to improve. The Packers finished 19th in ESPN’s run-block win rate rankings, and that number could have looked even worse if not for how much yardage Josh Jacobs created on his own.
I’m usually reluctant when it comes to the Packers bringing in older veterans who could take snaps and development opportunities away from younger players. Still, the interior offensive line is probably the one area of the roster where I’d be completely fine with that approach.
Banks struggled last season. Meanwhile, Belton feels like a player whose long-term projection might be at tackle rather than guard. At 6’6”, 336 lbs., Belton has prototypical tackle size and seems much better suited for playing on the edge than consistently working inside at guard.
The depth behind the projected starters is also somewhat concerning. Jager Burton could probably eventually play guard, but Green Bay will likely keep him at center considering that’s where he finished his college career. Donovan Jennings struggled when he got opportunities last season, while John Williams has yet to play meaningful NFL snaps. Furthermore, Dylan Barnett, Josh Gesky, and Dillon Wade will probably compete for depth spots during training camp. Still, it’s difficult to expect any of them to emerge as reliable contributors.
So, the idea behind signing a player like Zeitler wouldn’t just be about adding better depth to the interior offensive line. There’s also a realistic chance he’d simply be better than at least one of Green Bay’s current starters right now. At that point, you’re talking about adding a proven veteran who can bring some stability and consistency to a position group that still feels pretty uncertain heading into the season.
Spotrac projects that Zeitler will land a one-year deal worth around $9.2 million, which is a manageable figure. At that price point, it would make sense for them to at least explore bringing him in as the summer approaches. The Packers don’t have much depth if Belton or Banks were to miss time with an injury, so you can never really be too safe when it comes to adding experienced depth on the interior offensive line.
