The Ravens currently have a vacancy at left guard, but they have had stability at the opposite spot with Kevin Zeitler for the past two seasons. If the veteran has his way, that will continue beyond 2023.
Zeitler is seeking a new contract, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). The 33-year-old is attending the Ravens’ mandatory minicamp, though, and plans to be a full participant in the three-day practice period. While he is not holding out, it will be worth watching how Zeitler approaches extension talks with Baltimore.
The former first-rounder signed a three-year, $22.5M deal with the Ravens in 2021. That pact allowed him to return to the AFC North after he spent time with the Bengals and Browns before a two-year stint with the Giants. Zeitler gave Baltimore an experienced successor to Marshal Yanda at the RG spot, and he has been as advertised for the first two years of his time in Charm City.
Zeitler has started all 32 of his appearances for the Ravens, and his performances have remained consistent during his time with the team. He earned PFF grades of 75 and 74.1 over the past two years, excelling in pass protection in particular. While penalties (seven) were an issue in 2021, that figure dropped to just two last season as Zeitler was part of an offensive line that helped pave the way for the league’s second-most productive rushing attack.
The Wisconsin alumnus is set to carry a cap hit of $5.2M in 2023, a reasonable figure given his status as a full-time starter. However, the Ravens selected Andrew Vorhees in the seventh round of this year’s draft, giving them a potential Zeitler successor. The former is expected to miss most or all of his rookie season while recovering from an ACL tear, but he was named the Pac-12’s top offensive lineman and a First-Team All-American in 2022, which will lead to considerable expectations for the 2024 campaign. It will be interesting to monitor what developments (if any) will have taken place with respect to Zeitler’s financial future by that point.
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