The Seattle Seahawks don’t have many roster weaknesses but right guard remains one of them. Veteran guard Kevin Zeitler, though, remains unsigned in NFL free agency as a potential upgrade.
On Saturday, Fansided’s 12th Man Rising’s Ernesto Cova argued the Seahawks shouldn’t hesitate to sign Zeitler. Such a move would send Anthony Bradford to the bench.
Cova referred to adding Zeitler as “a no-brainer move.”
“Even at the ripe age of 36, Zeitler continues to perform at an above-average level. While he won’t pop up on the film, that’s usually a good thing for guards, and he’s coming off drawing the 11th-highest Pro Football Focus grade last season (74.5),” wrote Cova.
“The Seahawks don’t have many weak links on their roster, but Anthony Bradford has yet to live up to the expectations … The Seahawks have the money and the need, so this is an obvious fit.”
Zeitler has made 213 starts in his NFL career. Over his 14-year career, he’s earned about $101 million according to Spotrac.
The 36-year-old has been a very reliable guard for several different playoff teams. In 2023, he earned a Pro Bowl nomination with the Baltimore Ravens.
Seahawks Urged to Sign Guard Kevin Zietler
Seattle seemed to acknowledge its own roster weakness at right guard in the 2026 NFL Draft. While the team didn’t make adding a guard a major point of emphasis, the Seahawks did pick Iowa guard Beau Stephens at No. 148 overall.
Stephens could be the long-term solution at right guard. In the short-term, though, it would make sense for the Seahawks to target a seasoned veteran if they want to find an upgrade.
Zeitler clearly fits the bill. He’s been a plug-and-play, stabilizing starter for years.
In 2021, the Ravens added Zeitler to protect Lamar Jackson early in his career. Zeitler also helped the Ravens continue their dominance on the ground this decade.
During Zeitler’s three seasons with the Ravens, Baltimore was ranked in the top 3 in rushing all three campaigns.
Then in 2024, Zeitler joined a Detroit Lions roster coming off its first trip to the NFC championship game in more than 30 years. The veteran guard gave the Lions a 1-year solution, helping the unit finish second in passing and sixth in rushing.
The Lions also led the NFL in points scored during 2024.
Zeitler signed with the Tennessee Titans last offseason. Despite the struggling team around him, Zeitler still played well. He registered good PFF grades in both run blocking and pass protection.
Seahawks Picked G Beau Stephens in 2026 NFL Draft
Entering the 2026 NFL Draft, Seattle’s few roster holes were rather obvious. The team needed to add a running back and pieces to the secondary after the departures of free agents Kenneth Walker III, Riq Woolen and Coby Bryant.
With their first three picks, that’s exactly what the Seahawks did. They picked running back Jadarian Price, safety Bud Clark and cornerback Julian Neal.
With their next selection, the Seahawks targeted Stephens. They moved up the board to ensure landing him.
“It was too big of a gap and too much talent there,” said Seahawks general manager John Schneider on the reason behind trading up. “Beau came on a 30 visit. Really cool, right? Just the process of [him] coming in.”
Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald stopped short of saying Stephens would immediately compete for a starting role. But Macdonald didn’t rule it out, and stressed the rookie could play either guard spot.
Neither Seahawks starting guard was elite last season. But the team has the biggest need at right guard, where Bradford started last season.
At PFF, Bradford received a 48.9 overall grade. That was the worst grade of any guard who played at least 80% of his team’s offensive snaps last season.
Bradford’s 32.3 pass protection grade was the third-worst of any guard who played even 20% of the time on offense in 2025.
The Seahawks overcame Bradford’s bad season. If they don’t want to take that risk again, and Stephens isn’t quite ready to start yet, Zeitler should become a Seahawks target.
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