By Blessing 
The Detroit Lions have emerged as one of the NFL’s most inspiring turnaround stories, steadily climbing the ranks under the leadership of head coach Dan Campbell. Over the past few seasons, Detroit has gone from an afterthought to a serious contender, capturing two NFC North titles and even reaching the NFC Championship Game in 2023.
But with success comes pressure, and expectations are now sky-high in the Motor City. That’s why the Lions’ decision — or perhaps inability — to hold onto veteran guard Kevin Zeitler in free agency is turning heads and raising concerns.
According to Mike Payton of A to Z Sports, the Lions may have made a costly mistake by letting Zeitler walk.
“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 in a March 14 article, 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 key cog in Detroit’s offensive line last season, was instrumental in the unit’s dominance. A Pro Bowler in 2023 while with the Baltimore Ravens, he started 16 of 17 games at right guard next to standout tackle Penei Sewell. While he didn’t earn another Pro Bowl nod in 2024, his play certainly didn’t drop off.
In fact, Pro Football Focus (PFF) ranked him as the fifth-best guard in the entire league last season — out of 135 who logged enough snaps to qualify. He was especially dominant in the run game, earning the third-highest run-blocking grade at his position. His pass protection was solid as well, ranking 32nd overall among guards.
Now 35 years old, Zeitler is headed to the Tennessee Titans for the next chapter of his career. Despite his age, his durability has remained a defining trait — a rarity for an interior lineman. Over his 13-year NFL tenure, he’s appeared in at least 15 games in all but two seasons (2013 and 2014), playing 12 games in each of those years. Remarkably, he has started 197 of the 198 regular-season games he’s played since entering the league.
His departure leaves a notable gap on what was one of the league’s best offensive lines. PFF ranked the Lions’ line fourth overall in 2024, behind only the Buccaneers, Broncos, and the Super Bowl champion Eagles. Maintaining that level of performance without Zeitler won’t be easy — and for a team now expected to compete deep into the postseason, that matters.
Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes now face a critical task: finding a replacement who can keep the offensive front running at full throttle. In a league where the margin for error is razor-thin, losing a player of Zeitler’s caliber — regardless of the circumstances — could have ripple effects the Lions didn’t anticipate.