According to NFL Network Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoportthe Indianapolis Colts are trading former All-Pro starting linebacker Zaire Franklin Defensive tackle to Green Bay Packers Colby Wood:
This follows the initial national report Earlier this week, the Colts traded Franklin to another NFL team.
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Longtime Colts general manager Chris Ballard also recently remained noncommittal about Franklin remaining with the club.Franklin appears to be on his way out as early as the offseason, especially with Indianapolis looking to free up some cap space.
While Franklin has been more of a polarizing player for Colts fans in recent seasons, not always backing it up with his actual personal performance on the field after making public and sometimes “lightning rod” comments on his national podcast, there’s no question that he’s been a success story professionally.
A former 2018 seventh-round pick out of Indianapolis, Franklin worked his way onto the 53-man roster, going from core special teams player to full-time starter and ultimately becoming a 2024 All-NFL Second Team selection and an NFL Pro Bowler, as well as a captain on the defense. In 2024, he leads the league with 173 total tackles.
Franklin started all 17 games for the Colts last season and totaled 125 tackles (62 solo), seven tackles for loss, two sacks, five passes defensed and one forced fumble. According to PFF, Franklin is their 87th-best linebacker, with an overall grade of just +38.4 last season.
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While the Colts will save some salary cap money with this trade, the move is just as important — if not more — as Franklin is a less-than-perfect fit in veteran defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo’s defense, and the team is looking to go younger and faster among its top seven starting backs, perhaps (though no one will publicly admit it), even to remove some of the publicity Franklin has become on his podcast.
As for Wooden, the 6.4-inch, 273-pound defensive tackle who was originally the Packers’ 2023 fourth-round pick had 50 tackles (26 solo) and one pass defensed in 17 games (16 starts) in Green Bay last season.
Wooden has one year left on his rookie contract and is expected to be a rotational defensive tackle for the Colts.
