Zeitler joined the Giants in an exchange with the Cleveland Browns, along with a choice of linebacker Olivier Vernon in the fifth round and a selection of the fourth round in the draft on March 13, 2019. Previously, he played five seasons for the Cincinnati Bengals and two by the browns.
Zeitler was the Giants’ oldest full-time starter last season, a designation that could have belonged to Nate Solder had he not opted out of the season due to concerns about the COVID-19. Solder turns 33 next month.
The Giants were the only NFL team to start the same offensive line combination in each of the last nine games of the 2020 season. In addition to Zeitler and 28-year-old Fleming, the group included two newcomers, the left tackle Andrew Thomas and the left guard Shane Lemieux (the team’s choices for the first and fifth rounds in the draft last year) and pivot Nick Gates, who played in all snap offensives after starting three games in 2019, his first season of action (he spent 2018 on injury reserve). Thomas, Lemieux and Gates are 21, 23 and 25, respectively.