The Green Bay Packers should be hyped up after trouncing the New England Patriots in Week 9. Jordan Love once again showed he's one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, throwing for 372 yards and three touchdowns against a talented New England secondary. The defense, on the other hand, picked off Drake Maye three times and registered four total turnovers. But as good as the Packers were, they could be even better.
After all, the defense will be getting star pass rusher Micah Parsons in a few weeks. Barring a trade at the deadline (Tony Pollard, anyone?), though, the offense won't get a similar boost. That said, Green Bay just made a tweak in the win over the Pats that could have a massive impact the rest of the year.
See, it took way longer than expected, but offensive guard Kevin Zeitler at last made his debut for the Green and Gold. Although he only played a handful of offensive snaps in Week 9, the fact that he took the field may be a sign that he could start sooner rather than later, which would, in turn, give the offensive line a massive boost.
Kevin Zeitler may at last give the Packers bang for their buck
The Packers inked Kevin Zeitler in late September as part of an effort to beef up the offensive line. At the time, right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele had just suffered a season-ending injury, and the team needed help at both guard spots. That led general manager Brian Gutekunst to sign the trio of Zeitler, Mekhi Becton, and Laken Tomlinson.
While Tomlinson joined the starting lineup from the get-go, Becton and Zeitler didn't suit up for Green Bay in October. In Becton's case, it wasn't much of an issue, as he was seemingly brought up to provide depth. But Zeitler not getting an opportunity raised questions, as signing him wasn't necessarily cheap.
Granted, a player is worth what a team is willing to pay him, but Gutekunst gave Zeitler a one-year deal worth $4.05 million. Although that's not top-market compensation, it was odd to give him that kind of money only to keep him on the sidelines.
In Zeitler's defense, he needed an acclimation period after undergoing quadricep and leg hyperextension surgery in the offseason. With enough ramp-up time, the Waukesha, Wisconsin, native was at last able to play against New England.
Zeitler joined the lineup when Aaron Banks left to have an injury checked. During his absence, Zeitler lived up at right guard, while Tomlinson moved to the left side.
Kevin Zeitler gives the Packers a chance to play the best five up front
Zeitler only saw time against New England because Banks was unavailable. He made an impact and showed he can still play, and there's a chance Green Bay could need him soon.
Even though Banks has struggled with inconsistency and injuries, the Packers still appear to be high on him. Some of that may stem from the massive contract they gave him in 2025, but there's going to be a point where Green Bay will no longer be able to justify his struggles and will need to bench him (if he continues to falter, of course).
If it comes to that, switching Laken Tomlinson to left guard permanently and plugging Zeitler at right guard is probably the best course of action.
Either way, having a healthy Zeitler around gives Green Bay the chance to play the best five. That could come in handy in the second half of the season, as the Packers make a push for the NFC North title and the highest possible playoff seed.
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