Colts Trade Linebacker Franklin to Packers

0:00On March 31, Indianapolis Colts General Manager Chris Valored opened up about trading linebackers a year Franklin to the Green Bay Packers for. Defensive tackle Colby Wooden, right before free agency, kicked off. Franklin started as a seventh round pick for the Colts back in 2018, grinding from special teams ace to a key defensive leader and team captain over the years. Valored had high praise for Franklin's relentless work ethic on the field and his strong presence off it, calling his journey truly impressive. In his standout 2024 season, Franklin topped the NFL in tackles, earned his first pro bowl nod and landed second team all pro honors, wrapping up 132 games with 738 tackles, 10 sacks, and plenty of big plays. Now the Colts face a thin linebacker room without his veteran smarts, but they picked up some defensive line depth in the deal to keep building.