GREEN BAY – Football has taken Kevin Zeitler a lot of places over the past 14 years.
But it wasn't until this week that the sport brought the Wisconsin native home with Zeitler's signing with the Packers – the team he grew up cheering for two hours south in Waukesha.
This is just the third time Zeitler has been to Lambeau Field, though. His first visit came during an all-state football banquet in high school before returning nearly two decades later as a member of the Detroit Lions in 2024, his 13th NFL season.
Now, the former Pro Bowl guard has a locker of his own inside the fabled walls of 1265 Lombardi Avenue, and he couldn't be happier about it.
"It's pretty cool," Zeitler said. "Growing up a big Pack fan, enjoying the Brett Favre eras and all that – just to come back and kind of know the history, be back in the state of Wisconsin, it's pretty great. My family's pretty excited. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."
The 36-year-old Zeitler is Wisconsin through and through. He won two WIAA Division 3 state championships at Wisconsin Lutheran before starting three years at Wisconsin, earning All-American honors as a senior.
Drafted by Cincinnati in the first round (27th overall) in 2012, Zeitler has started 213 of the 214 regular-season games in which he's played, making a Pro Bowl with Baltimore in 2023.
Zeitler started 16 games for Tennessee last season before suffering a quad injury and hyperextension of his leg that required an offseason cleanup. Still, the 6-foot-4, 314-pound guard says, "retirement never crossed my mind." His goal was always to return for a 15th season.
"I was just hanging out in Nashville, training and getting ready for any opportunity that came along," said Zeitler, who also owns a cabin in Eagle River, Wis. "Kind of out of nowhere Monday, got a call (from Green Bay) and started a visit. Everything happened to work out. Now I'm here and I'm pretty pumped about it."
Zeitler's homecoming comes with good timing for the Packers, who have been hit hard by injuries on the offensive line through the first three weeks of the season.
In addition to losing right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele for the year to a torn patellar tendon, both left guard Aaron Banks (knee/toe) and right guard Jacob Monk (quad) did not practice Wednesday.
In need of reinforcements, the Packers added Zeitler, former Pro Bowl guard Laken Tomlinson (off Dallas' practice squad) and former New York Jets first-round pick Mekhi Becton Sr. in recent days.
Tomlinson has played more than 10,000 snaps at left guard during his 11-year NFL career while Zeitler has taken more than 14,000 snaps at right guard.
"It's big time just to have guys that have experience and that have played a lot of football to come in," fifth-year receiver Christian Watson said. "Not only obviously to have them out there on the field, but to just have that experience, have some more voices in that room. I think that would be big for everybody."
There was some scuttlebutt on social media Tuesday about the possibility of Zeitler signing with the Packers, especially after the team announced Becton was changing his jersey from No. 70 to 74.
Zeitler's wife, Sara, quickly noticed and texted Kevin to ask if that change meant he was signing with Green Bay since Zeitler had worn 70 almost exclusively throughout his football career.
Zeitler didn't immediately respond since he was still going through his visit with the Packers, leading to a good laugh between the couple once everything wrapped up.
"When you're on a visit, you're running around the building, meeting everyone, a million different things, but it was good," Zeitler said. "Visit was great, everything. I'm really happy all the negotiations – I didn't partake in that, that was other people yelling at each other – it all finally came together this morning, and I was glad I wasn't on the plane this morning back (to Nashville)."
How soon might Zeitler and Tomlinson be available? That remains to be seen, but Head Coach Matt LaFleur told Green Bay media the Packers have a plan in place for getting their newly signed veterans up to speed.
Asked whether he could play as soon as this Sunday in Tampa Bay, Zeitler is up for the challenge if that's what the Packers need. After all, Zeitler has played in pretty much every type of offense that exists over his previous 14 seasons.
As far as Day 1 is concerned, Zeitler believes it "went pretty darn smoothy." He feels comfortable with the Packers' playbook and offensive terminology.
It's been surreal so far and will only get more whimsical once he runs through the home tunnel at Lambeau Field and is embraced by his fellow Wisconsinites for the first time.
There is no question the football fire burns as fiercely as ever within Zeitler and he's hungry to show it with the team, and fanbase, he grew up idolizing.
"Obviously being on the other side of it, it's going to be cool to be a part of it, be a part of that passionate group," Zeitler said.
"I still love ball. I really do. There's a time retirement will come and football will go away, but not yet. Since I have the ability to do it, I might as well."
