Ex-Colt Zaire Franklin's message to fans after trade: 'Thank you for accepting me'

Indianapolis — One day after the Colts agreed to send linebacker Zaire Franklin to the Green Bay Packers for defensive tackle Colby Wooden, Franklin posted a heartfelt farewell to the city that watched him blossom from a 2018 seventh-round draft pick into a Pro Bowl tackling machine.

“Just know whenever I was at my lowest it was always a fan at the store, food spot or an event (whose) picture or kind words of support from Far East to Germany that lifted my spirits when I needed it!” Franklin wrote Sunday evening on X. “Nap, I hope y’all saw that I gave everything I had to this city and I hope I continue to earn your support until the very end.”

The trade, confirmed by IndyStar on Thursday and set to become official when the new league year opens Wednesday, ends Franklin’s eight-season tenure in Indianapolis. During that span he evolved from a core special-teamer into a 2024 NFL tackles leader, second-team AP All-Pro and defensive captain who teammates routinely described as the heartbeat of the locker room.

Franklin, 29, acknowledged the looming scheme change under new Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo played a role in the parting. Indianapolis struggled in 2025 to defend passes over the middle, and Franklin’s coverage limitations surfaced as a weekly talking point. General manager Chris Ballard, speaking last week at the NFL Combine, praised Franklin’s intelligence and toughness but stopped short of guaranteeing the linebacker’s roster spot for 2026, citing a front-seven that “needs to get younger and faster.”

On Instagram, Franklin thanked Ballard for “taking a chance on a North Philly kid from Syracuse,” adding that their relationship was “based on honesty and accountability.” He also expressed gratitude to the Irsay family and the entire Colts support staff, saying “real life tears” filled his eyes when reflecting on Indianapolis.

“Thank you for taking care of me and allowing me to be me,” Franklin wrote. “To all my teammates, y’all know we locked in (for life). Know my favorite part of the game is being a teammate and I gave y’all everything I had on the field and in the locker room.”

Franklin closed his X letter with a promise that he will “always have love for ‘Naptown,’” a final nod to the community that embraced him through career highs and public controversies, including pointed commentary delivered on his podcast platform.

For the Colts, the swap nets 23-year-old Colby Wooden, a 2023 third-round selection who started 13 games for Green Bay last season and profiles as a stout run defender entering the final year of his rookie contract. The move injects youthful depth along Indianapolis’s interior line while signaling a definitive pivot toward a faster defensive front.

Franklin now heads to Green Bay seeking a fresh start, but not without leaving behind a legacy forged in 120 regular-season games, 1,007 career tackles and a city that will remember the linebacker who never stopped hustling — and never stopped saying thank you.