Kevin Zeitler spent the first five years of his career with the Cincinnati Bengals and then two seasons with the Cleveland Browns, so the man knows a little something about frustration and disappointment.
Unfortunately for Zeitler, he was traded to the rebuilding New York Giants in 2019 as part of the Odell Beckham Jr. deal, and that frustration and disappointment continued.
The Giants were an absolute mess under Pat Shurmur, who has since been fired, finishing the season with a 4-12 record and picking up yet another top 5 pick in the NFL Draft.
“Obviously, my first year here was frustrating,” Zeitler told our friend Pat Ragazzo of Sports Illustrated. “There is talent on the Giants, but it was a very disappointing season overall.
“We had a bunch of smart football guys with experience on the line, but we were inconsistent in the running game and with our pass protection. . . We have to figure out how to take the next step because last year was no fun, and we know we have to get it turned around fast.”
One thing that did not frustrate or disappoint Zeitler was his wife, Sara, who handled the sudden trade and subsequent move like a boss, allowing Zeitler to focus on integrating with his new teammates while also studying a new playbook.
“I had to separate myself right away,” Zeitler said. “God bless my wife, who focused on selling the house immediately. Everything you cared about in your situation no longer matters [once you get traded]. You have new teammates and a whole new area.
“I didn’t know much about New York and thought it was going to be loud, busy streets with nowhere to park. Once we got here, we were able to settle in the suburbs of New Jersey, and we really liked it.”
With his life in New Jersey settled, Zeitler is readying himself for a Giant turnaround. He knows everyone in East Rutherford is tired of losing and that the tri-state area fans have had enough of the sub par play.
“The guys on this team are sick of losing the last three years. All we want to do is win,” he said. “We need to attack and get after it right away because we don’t have any time to waste anymore. We need to win right away. You’re only given so much patience in this league. New York wants a good team.”
Zeitler will be one of the team’s centerpieces in 2020 with an added emphasis on repairing the offensive line.
