The Indianapolis Colts have re-signed linebacker Zaire Franklin, but they haven’t been active in the market yet.
On Monday, the Indianapolis Colts agreed to bring back tight end Mo Alie-Cox to a three-year contract. On Tuesday, linebacker Zaire Franklin signed a new contract with the team.
Franklin agreed to return to Indy for a three-year contract worth $12 million. He captained special teams and led one of the best units in football.
Zaire Franklin will continue to do so while also developing as an Indianapolis defender.
While re-signing Franklin wasn’t the big decision many Colts fans were looking for, it was a decision that was needed.
As noted, Franklin is a captain and one of the team’s most beloved players. This was demonstrated by the reactions of his teammates when Franklin got his first career interception against the Buffalo Bills last season.
In addition to Franklin’s impact in the locker room, he leads a special teams unit that has been named the second-best in the NFL. Special teams are usually overlooked, but having great unity is often the difference between winning and losing games.
Franklin will come back and keep the special teams up to snuff and he can also continue his development as a defender.
At just 25 years old, Franklin has plenty of room to continue growing as a player. He was a starting outside linebacker last season, however, he only played 18% of the Colts’ defensive snaps.
Considering his age, it’s still possible he could develop into more than a special teams player.
While re-signing Franklin has its perks, fans are set for bigger moves from Indianapolis. Indy entered the offseason with about $70 million in cap space, the most in the league.
Many in the league expected a team near Super Bowl caliber to be more aggressive. It’s still early in the process, but it’s not yet.
The next few days will be important for the future of Indy as everyone waits to see the changes that will be made.
