The Tennessee Titans entered the NFL offseason with over $50 million to spend and several needs on their roster to address. Perhaps the biggest need of all, outside of quarterback, was the offensive line.
Regardless of whether the Titans end up signing a free agent or drafting a quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick, their odds of running a successful offense skyrocket with a good unit protecting the individual under center. The Chicago Bears are a prime example of this. They drafted Caleb Williams No. 1 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, had an outstanding skill position group for him to throw the ball to, and a horrific offensive line. The result was Williams under pressure constantly and having a fairly underwhelming rookie year.
Sure enough, the Titans have spent many of their resources in trying to bolster the offensive line. Dan Moore Jr. was obviously heavily overpaid, but he's a major upgrade over Nicholas Petit-Frere, Tennessee's right tackle for part of last season. They upgraded with that signing, and now got arguably the steal of free agency so far by coming to terms with Kevin Zeitler to a one-year, $9 million deal according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Source: Former Pro-Bowl guard Kevin Zeitler is signing a one-year $9 million deal with the Tennessee Titans. pic.twitter.com/sBPuQ00qFl
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 12, 2025
Titans sign Kevin Zeitler in steal of a deal
Yes, you did read that right. Kevin Zeitler, one of the best interior offensive linemen in the NFL signed a one-year deal worth just $9 million. This deal, especially after the Titans overpaid Moore, is awesome to see.
Zeitler's 86.8 PFF grade was the fifth-best among 135 offensive guards this past season. His 87.2 grade as a run blocker ranked third among those 135 offensive guards. He might be 35 years old, but by virtually any metric, Zeitler is one of the best interior offensive linemen of the sport, particularly in the ground game.
Age might be a bit of a concern, but he was as elite as anyone in 2024, and has been remarkably durable over the course of his 13-year career. In fact, Zeitler has played in 15 or more games in each of his last 10 seasons. He played in 16 games for the Detroit Lions last season.
Given how talented and durable he has been, it's shocking that Zeitler signed a one-year deal worth just $9 million. A shorter-term deal for Zeitler made sense, given his age, but it feels as if he should have at least gotten a two-year commitment. With this only being for one year, you'd expect the money to be a lot higher. Again, it cannot be overstated just how awesome of a deal this is for Tennessee.
Kevin Zeitler contract grade: A