Zaire Najee Franklin (born July 2, 1996) is an American professional football linebacker for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Syracuse Orange and was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the seventh round of the 2018 NFL Draft.
College career Franklin played linebacker for the Syracuse Orange from 2014 to 2017. While at Syracuse, Franklin recorded 311 career tackles over the course of 48 total games, starting the final 39 of his career. Franklin was a two-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection. Additionally, he was only the second three-time captain in Orange football history and the first since 1896.
Professional career
Indianapolis Colts Franklin was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the seventh round, 235th overall, of the 2018 NFL draft. The Colts previously obtained the pick used to select Franklin by trading Henry Anderson to the New York Jets. Franklin made his NFL debut on September 9, 2018, against the Cincinnati Bengals, recording one tackle on special teams. He made his first career start at linebacker on September 23 against the Philadelphia Eagles, notching one tackle on defense and another on special teams. In his rookie season, Franklin appeared in all 16 regular season games, starting two, and recorded 29 tackles and one pass defended.
On September 8, 2020, Franklin was named one of the five team captains heading into the 2020 season. In the 2020 season, he appeared in 16 games and started two.
On March 16, 2022, Franklin signed a three-year, $12 million contract extension with the Colts. In the 2022 season, Franklin had three sacks, 167 total tackles (102 solo), six passes defended, and two forced fumbles in 17 starts.
In 2023, Franklin finished the season second in the league with a career-high 179 tackles, 1.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and six passes defensed through 16 starts. Franklin was ranked 100th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2024.
On March 11, 2024, with Franklin beginning the last year of his contract, the Colts signed him to a three-year extension worth up to $31.3 million. He played every defensive snap for Indianapolis during the 2024 season, recording two interceptions, six pass deflections, five forced fumbles, 3.5 sacks, and a league-leading 173 combined tackles. Franklin underwent a clean-up procedure on his ankle following the season.
Green Bay Packers On March 11, 2026, Franklin was traded to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for Colby Wooden.
NFL career statistics Legend Led the leagueBold Career high
Regular season Year Team Games Tackles Interceptions Fumbles GP GS Cmb Solo Ast Sck TfL Sfty PD Int Yds TD Avg Lng FF FR 2018 IND 16 2 29 14 15 0.0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 2019 IND 16 0 6 4 2 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 2020 IND 16 2 19 14 5 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2021 IND 17 11 40 21 19 0.0 1 0 2 1 8 0 8.0 8 0 1 2022 IND 17 17 167 102 65 3.0 12 0 6 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2023 IND 16 16 179 107 72 1.5 3 0 6 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2024 IND 17 17 173 93 80 3.5 11 0 6 2 4 0 2.0 4 5 0 2025 IND 17 17 125 62 63 2.0 7 0 5 0 0 0 0.0 0 1 0 2026 GB 3 3 21 7 14 0.0 1v 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0Career 135 85 759 424 335 10.0 35 0 26 3 12 0 4.0 8 10 1
Postseason Year Team Games Tackles Interceptions Fumbles GP GS Cmb Solo Ast Sck TfL Sfty PD Int Yds TD Avg Lng FF FR 2018 IND 2 2 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2020 IND 1 0 1 0 1 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Career 3 2 1 0 1 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0
Personal life Franklin was the Colts nominee for the 2023 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award for his charitable efforts in founding and leading Shelice's Angels. Shelice's Angels seeks "to open doors and provide resources that will help build self esteem while providing positive reinforcement in the lives of young women" and focuses specifically in the areas of technology, community giving, and academic achievement. On his days off from the NFL, he appears on "520 Podcast" alongside NBA Players and Indiana natives Jeff and Marquis Teague.
References
External links
Green Bay Packers bio Syracuse Orange bio