The New York Jets still have work to do.
NFL Media Group analyst Matt Okada said the biggest remaining roster issue for the Jets is on the interior offensive line. He said one way they can address that is by signing former Tennessee Titans offensive lineman Kevin Zeitler.
“The Jets won just three games in 2025, but their offseason was extremely productive, addressing several of their most glaring needs. The biggest unaddressed issue is the interior of the offensive line, particularly center and left guard. New York lost guards Alijah Vera-Tucker and John Simpson to free agency, and center Josh Myers was subpar after signing with the Jets last year. After adding only Dylan Parham in free agency, the offensive trenches remain a concerning flaw. It might be worth considering free-agent veteran guard Kevin Zeitler at a major discount,” Okada wrote.
Zeitler is a former Pro Bowl offensive lineman.
Getting Into the Trenches
Zeitler, 36, is listed at 6-foot-4 and weighs 332 pounds.
He entered the league as the No. 27 overall pick in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft.
The former Wisconsin product has been one of the most durable offensive linemen in recent NFL history.
Across his 14 years in the NFL, Zeitler has appeared in 214 games and has started 213 games. He has started at least 11 games in every season of NFL football that he has played.
Specifically, over the last 11 seasons, he has made at least 16 starts in eight of those years.
Despite his advancing age, Zeitler has continued to be more than an effective player. According to Pro Football Focus, last season, he was an above-average player:
- Overall grade: 74.5 (13th best among 81 qualifying guards)
- Run block grade: 70.8 (20th best among 81 qualifying guards)
- Pass block grade: 75.4 (9th best among 81 qualifying guards)
The only real knock against him is that Zeitler has exclusively played right guard at the NFL level, according to PFF.
He has accrued 13,985 snaps at right guard and only two snaps at left guard across his 14 years in the pros.
The Jets have a starting right guard in Joe Tippmann that they like a lot. He just received a $62 million contract extension this offseason.
This week, I had Jets Super Bowl III champion, Randy Rasmussen, on “Boy Green Daily.” He explained to me that some players on the team could play both left and right guard, but some couldn’t. Rasmussen said his ability to play both sides was an attractive trait to the team.
For the Zeitler addition to make sense, he would have to compete with Parham at left guard for that starting role.
Relevant Jets-Titans News Ahead of Week 1
The Jets will start their season in Tennessee against the Titans.
It will be an emotional day for a lot of reasons. The Titans announced on social media that they will be inducting superstar running back Chris Johnson into the team’s ring of honor.
Johnson shared his ALS diagnosis during a television appearance on “Good Morning America” earlier this offseason.
CJ2k was most known for his time in Tennessee, where he spent the first six seasons of his career. He also played a season of football with the Jets in 2014.
Now the former running back will get to watch both of his old teams go at it to start the 2026 campaign.
Jets Pushed to Sign Ex-Pro Bowl OL at ‘Major Discount’ to Fill Hole