The Detroit Lions have been one of the NFL's feel good stories, rising to prominence in recent years under highly-regarded head coach Dan Campbell.
But with the winning the Lions have done over the past two seasons -- two NFC North Division championships and a trip to the conference title game in 2023 -- comes serious expectations. Detroit failed to meet those expectations along the offensive line by letting guard Kevin Zeitler depart in free agency, according to Mike Payton of A to Z Sports.
"This was the one guy the Lions needed to make sure they kept to keep the offensive line playing at a top level," Payton wrote Friday, March 14, grading the move an "F" overall. "They couldn't do it. You can't blame them too much because he wanted to be with family, but maybe you up the offer to keep him here?"
Zeitler, a Pro Bowler with the Baltimore Ravens in 2023, started 16 of 17 regular-season games at right guard alongside Penei Sewell in Detroit last season. And while Zeitler didn't earn a Pro-Bowl nod in 2024, Pro Football Focus (PFF) graded him as the fifth-best player at his position across the entire NFL in 2024, which included 135 offensive guards who saw enough snaps to quality.
Zeitler was well above-average as a pass blocker, rating 32nd overall. However, he was truly elite as a run blocker, with a PFF grade that ranked him third at the position league-wide in that category.
He joined the Tennessee Titans, where he will play next season at 35 years old. Despite his age, though, Zeitler has been one of the healthiest players in the NFL over his 13-year career, appearing in at least 15 games in all but two of his professional campaigns.
The two seasons he came in under that number (2013, 2014), Zeitler played in 12 contests both times. He has also started 197 of 198 career regular-season games in which he has appeared since joining the league.
The Lions must now replace Zeitler on what PFF ranked the fourth-best offensive line unit in the NFL last season, behind only the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (playoff team), Denver Broncos (playoff team) and Philadelphia Eagles (Super Bowl champions).
