In order to have a long, successful NFL career, players need to have at least one outstanding skill that benefits the team.
For Zayne Anderson, that specialized skill is hunting down kickoff and punt returners on special teams.
2025 was Anderson's fifth NFL season and third in Green Bay. Season after season he continues to be the Packers heat-seeking, laser-guided special teams missile to seek and destroy the opposing team's return men, and he does it oh so well.
Zayne Anderson's 2025 season
As a backup safety with the Packers, the path to playing time for Zayne Anderson is on special teams.
In 2025 he logged 206 special teams snaps and just 22 on defense. He turned those mostly special teams opportunities into 15 tackles and two fumble recoveries. His 15 tackles this year were one shy of his career-high 16 from last season. One of those fumble recoveries saved the Packers bacon after their punt returned muffed a punt deep in Green Bay territory.
Former BYU star Zayne Anderson recovers the muffed punt to save the Packers on Sunday Night Football. pic.twitter.com/VtVTH0WOGG
— Diggin’ Brigham (@DigginBrigham) October 27, 2025
His second fumble recovery this season was a heady play after a ball bounced backward and contacted the Vikings punt returner.
Zayne Anderson with the Play of the Game for @packers! 🤙 pic.twitter.com/Xn4refUEZL
— Go Cougs! (@Cougarwire) November 23, 2025
After the win over the Vikings, Packers coach Matt LeFleur presented Zayne with a game ball and called his fumble recovery "the play of the game." He was mobbed by his teammates in celebration for his contribution and asked to give a brief speech when presented with the game ball.
Anderson's career at BYU
The rangy safety spent six seasons at BYU from 2015 through 2020, and he dealt with more than his fair share of injuries. In all, he appeared in 50 games for the Cougars with 162 tackles and three interceptions.
His best college season came in 2017 with 61 tackles and two interceptions.
In 2018 he was named a team captain but suffered a season-ending injury after four games. His 2019 campaign was also derailed by a season-ending injury, this one after just two games. Anderson returned in 2020 and finished his college career with 41 tackles in 11 games that year.
Zayne's NFL career
Given his injury history and decent but not amazing stats at BYU, it wasn't surprising when Zayne wasn't selected in the 2021 NFL Draft. He signed that year with the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent. He beat the odds as a UDFA and in his rookie season he not only made the 53-man roster but appeared in four games with on tackle.
In 2022 he appeared in three more games for the Chiefs, playing 48 defensive snaps.
In 2023 he signed with the Green Bay Packers and over the last three seasons has carved out a consistent role with the team as a special teams ace and a backup safety. During his time with the Packers he has appeared in 40 games with 35 tackles, playing almost exclusively on special teams.
He is an unrestricted free agent this coming offseason. Here's to hoping the Packers re-sign him for a few more years.
Every team needs a heat-seeking missile on special teams.
And that's exactly what Zayne Anderson is.