Trending Now - Packers Trade for Colts LB Zaire Franklin

WHO:

Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, Zaire Franklin (linebacker), Colby Wooden (defensive tackle), Quay Walker (linebacker), Brian Gutekunst (Packers general manager), Jonathan Gannon (Packers defensive coordinator), Chris Ballard (Colts general manager), Adam Schefter (ESPN reporter), Ian Rapoport (NFL Network reporter).

WHAT:

The Packers traded defensive tackle Colby Wooden to the Colts in exchange for linebacker Zaire Franklin.

Franklin has a base salary of $6.24 million for the 2026 season, with potential roster bonuses bringing his total pay to $7.005 million.

Franklin signed a three-year, $31.26 million contract extension with the Colts, which has two years remaining.

Quay Walker, a first-round pick in 2022, is expected to enter free agency and could command around $15 million per year.

Franklin led the NFL in tackles in 2024 with 173 tackles and was named a second-team All-Pro.

Wooden set a career-high with 50 tackles, including six for a loss, during his first full season as a starter.

WHERE:

Green Bay, Wisconsin (Packers), Indianapolis, Indiana (Colts).

WHEN:

The trade was reported on March 8, 2026.

Franklin joined the Colts as a seventh-round pick in 2018.

The new league year opens on March 15, 2026.

WHY:

The Packers aimed to fill the potential vacancy left by Quay Walker, who is expected to enter free agency.

The Colts are looking to create cap space and get "younger and faster" on defense.

HOW:

The trade was executed as a player-for-player deal without any draft picks involved.

(UPDATED March 8, 2026 01:23 UTC)

In a significant trade reported today, the Green Bay Packers have sent defensive tackle Colby Wooden to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for linebacker Zaire Franklin. Franklin, who led the NFL in tackles in 2024 and was named a second-team All-Pro, has a base salary of $6.24 million for the upcoming season, while Wooden set a career-high with 50 tackles last year. This move comes as the Packers look to fill a potential vacancy left by Quay Walker, who is expected to enter free agency, and the Colts aim to create cap space and enhance their defense.