With the worst-ranked offensive line in the NFL through three weeks, the Green Bay Packers' front office has been active over the last few days, putting pressure on the position group by signing three veterans to the active roster and practice squad. Their most recent addition is Kevin Zeitler, a 14-year NFL veteran who last made a Pro Bowl with Baltimore in 2023.
This offseason, the Packers leaned into a relatively inexperienced core to lead their offensive line. While the promise of fresh legs seemed nice in theory, those fresh legs have been borderline useless in reality. With that in mind, GM Brian Gutekunst is making a complete shift from a young, upstart offensive line to a grizzled core led by three players in their late-30s.
Who actually cracks the rotation and starts for Green Bay in Week 4 against the Buccaneers is yet to be determined, but there's officially a competition for the Packers' five starting spots on the O-Line.
However, taking the best parts from the top of the scrap heap might not be the winning strategy that Gutekunst thinks it is, even if desperate times call for desperate measures.
Green Bay is rebuilding its offensive line with players who couldn't make a roster. So how will they fix the Packers' problems now?
There is one underlying commonality between the Packers' three signings of Zeitler, Laken Tomlinson, and Mekhi Becton. They're all former Pro Bowlers at their respective positions who fell out of favor in the league, whether it's due to their age or the narratives that surround them.
At the same time, these are three players who've proven their ability to perform at the highest level when the opportunity presents itself. That being said, there's still an opportunity for them to round into form, play their way back into game shape, and help the Packers get their season back on track.
Nonetheless, Father Time is not forgiving to NFL athletes. Getting back into playing shape is not going to be easy unless all three of these players have been training to compete at the highest level. So this is far from a guarantee that the Packers' offensive line will improve the way their titles as former Pro Bowlers would suggest.
But any help they can get is good help at this point, as Jordan Love is being put in a compromised position every time he steps on the football field behind the O-Line that Green Bay has deployed thus far. If these are the best options available to them, then good on the Packers for taking a chance.
The alternative is changing nothing and throwing their season away, so in that regard, Green Bay made the right choice. How it plays out will be a whole other story.
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