Colts commit LB to three-year, $31.26 million contract renewal

The Colts have extended one of their best defensive players until the end of the 2027 season.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Indianapolis Colts have signed starting linebacker Zaire Franklin to a three-year, $31.26 million contract extension.

Before free agency, an extension: The #Colts are signing LB Zaire Franklin to a 3-year, $31.26M extension, per agents Drew Rosenhaus and Kyle Lincoln.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 11, 2024

The 28-year-old linebacker was slated to become a free agent at the end of the 2024 season, but this deal will keep him in Indianapolis until the end of the 2027 season.

Franklin’s 6-year NFL career has seen him go from a 2018 7th round pick to special teams ace to starting standout linebacker (and team captain).

He enjoyed a career season with the Colts last year, finishing second in the NFL in total tackles (179) and adding 6 passes defensed, 2 forced fumbles, and 1.5 sacks across 16 starts. While Franklin did not make the Pro Bowl, he was likely deserving of such league-wide acclaim.

His recent rise as the ‘alpha dog’ in the Colts linebacker corps is a major reason why Indianapolis was able to move on from previous standout Shaquille Leonard around midseason—the locker room leadership and performance dynamic had clearly shifted.