The move didn’t dominate national headlines, but the Green Bay Packers may have quietly addressed one of their most important needs with the addition of linebacker Zaire Franklin. And all it cost them was mediocre defensive tackle Colby Wooden.
Franklin arrives in Green Bay after several productive seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, where he developed into one of the league’s most reliable tackling linebackers. But numbers alone don’t tell the full story of why this move makes sense for the Packers. Franklin brings something that doesn’t always show up on stat sheets: leadership.
In Indianapolis, Franklin wore the captain’s patch, a responsibility that speaks volumes about how teammates and coaches viewed him.