 On August 20, 1987, he was released after losing the preseason kicking competition with Atkinson.After the players went on a strike on the third week of the 1987 season, those games were canceled (reducing the 16 game season to 15) and the NFL decided that the games would be played with replacement players.Zendejas was signed to be a part of the Green Bay Packers replacement team and was kept for the rest of the season, after making all of his 7 field goal attempts.