NFL Trade News: Packers solve inside LB issue with Zaire Franklin after his 173-tackle season, sent Colby Wooden to the Colts

The Green Bay Packers made an early defensive move before the start of the new NFL league year. On March 7, 2026, reports confirmed that the Packers agreed to acquire LB Zaire Franklin from the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for defensive tackle Colby Wooden. League sources revealed the deal late Saturday night.

Green Bay needed help at inside linebacker, and Franklin arrived with one of the strongest tackle resumes in the league. This trade gives the Packers a proven defensive leader, while Indianapolis gains a younger defensive lineman as it reshapes the roster ahead of free agency.

Green Bay strengthens linebacker unit as Franklin arrives from Indianapolis

The trade targets one clear problem for the Packers. GM Brian Gutekunst spoke about that need during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis on Feb. 25, 2026, when he addressed reporters about offseason priorities.

“Inside linebacker and the secondary,” Gutekunst said when asked which positions needed more competition.

Green Bay acted quickly. The Packers now add Zaire Franklin, a veteran LB who built his reputation through relentless tackling and leadership in Indianapolis.

Franklin entered the league as a seventh-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft from Syracuse. He slowly climbed the depth chart and turned into one of the Colts’ most dependable defenders. His biggest statistical season came in 2023, when he recorded 179 tackles, the highest single-season total in Colts franchise history.

The following year brought even more recognition. Franklin finished the 2024 season with 173 tackles, the highest total in the NFL. That campaign also earned him second-team All-Pro honour and confirmed his place among the league’s most productive linebackers.

Green Bay expects that production to translate immediately. The Packers already featured Edgerrin Cooper as a rising inside linebacker, but the roster needed another proven starter. Franklin now fills that role as the defense transitions under coordinator Jonathan Gannon.


The move also hints at a likely change elsewhere. Quay Walker, Green Bay’s 2022 first-round pick, is set to hit free agency soon. Adding Franklin gives the Packers protection if Walker departs.


For the Colts, the trade solves a different problem. The franchise needed salary cap relief after tagging quarterback Daniel Jones earlier this offseason. Moving Franklin helps the team move closer to cap compliance before the new league year begins on March 11, 2026. The Colts also gain a young defensive lineman in Colby Wooden. The former Auburn standout started 16 games during the 2025 season and recorded 50 tackles with six tackles for loss, the best numbers of his career.

In the end, both teams addressed clear needs. The Packers land a proven tackler in Zaire Franklin, while the Colts add defensive line depth through the Colby Wooden trade as the offseason begins to heat up.








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