Colts extend contract with top tackler and leader 

Zaire Franklin made the initial request for a compensation rise after last season.

When the Colts first re-signed Franklin in the spring of 2022, it was to reward a top special teamer, with the expectation that his position would remain primarily on fourth down going forward.

But, with the advent of new defensive coordinator Gus Bradley and Shaquille Leonard’s sad physical decline, Franklin swiftly rose from dependable core special teamer to crucial defender.

Franklin wanted to be compensated in a way that he thought was appropriate.

It’s why Franklin went to the Colts following the ’22 season to ask for a pay increase.

The Colts didn’t initially cave, but they eventually re-engaged Franklin this past fall to reward (arguably) their top leader.

“After last season I kind of approached them like, ‘Hey, something ain’t right,’” Franklin explains. “I think definitely credit to Chris (Ballard), (capologist) Mike Bluem, the Irsays and everyone involved pretty much to just handle it.

“I feel like we handled it like professionals. We didn’t let anything get too personal. I was able to handle everything pretty straight forward. While it was tough at times, but I think the process went about as good as we thought it could.”

To put it numerically, Franklin’s wage boost stems from his role.

Franklin played 462 defensive snaps in 65 games between 2018 and 2021. That’s 462 out of 4,201 defensive snaps (10.9 percent), and he never had more than 17 percent of defensive snaps in his first four seasons.

Franklin has been one of the Colts’ most essential players since re-signing with them for the first time after the ’21 season. Franklin did not miss a single defensive action in 2022 (1,034 snaps). He then took 1,089 snaps last year, out of a possible 1,171. Franklin has received more work than anybody else on the Colts defense over the last two years.

Given that, he felt a new pay day was needed.

“I feel like as thankful as I am for how this all has went, now I just feel like I’m finally being paid for the job that I’ve already been doing,” Franklin says.

“Just got to continue to raise that level and continue to move that forward.”

Franklin, who played primarily on special teams in 2022 (3-year agreement for $10 million, with $4 million guaranteed), is now paid as a top-10 NFL linebacker (3-year deal for $31.3 million, with $17.6 million guaranteed).

“Zaire has worked hard to achieve everything in his career and I’m excited for him and his family on this well-deserved contract,” Shane Steichen said after Franklin inked his extension. “I respect Zaire for his football acumen and even more so for his character. He has the respect of everyone in our locker room as evidenced by him being selected by his teammates as a captain and our nominee for the 2023 NFL Walter Payton Man of The Year award.”

Team-wise, Franklin has frequently completely embraced the role of lead spokesperson, with a three-year captain resume from Syracuse (just the second in the school’s 100-plus year history), checking the Colts’ ever-important character box.

It’s April, but Franklin’s sentiments had many Colts fans nodding in agreement.