Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Colts sign LB Zaire Franklin to a massive $31.26 million contract extension a day after Chris Jones’ record-breaking deal

Originally posted on FirstSportz | By Akash Chatterjee | Last updated 3/11/24

The NFL world witnessed some record-breaking deals ahead of the free agency hit the environment. A few hours back, the Kansas City Chiefs re-signed the defensive lineman Chris Jones with a record-breaking $90 million deal. After that, the Indianapolis Colts re-signed the defensive lineman Zaire Franklin to a deal worth $31.26 million. The deal is for three years.

The Colts drafted the linebacker in the seventh round in 2018. He was offered an extension earlier in 2022 as well. His contract was not on the verge of expiring. However, the team decided to re-sign him following the performance he produced in the last two seasons.

Zaire Franklin remains one of the most consistent players for the Indianapolis Colts. He was the team captain in the past seasons and performed 100% of the team’s defensive snaps in 2022. In 2023, the lineman missed only one game due to his knee injury and performed 90% of the snaps in the remaining 16 games. His amazing numbers and perseverance led the Colts to sign him.

Colts are signing linebacker Zaire Franklin to a 3-year $31.26 million contract extension. The deal was confirmed by his agents Drew Rosenhaus and Kyle Lincoln. pic.twitter.com/6I53NaKj6f
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 11, 2024

After Shaq Leonard departed from the squad, the Colts secured one of the best options for the next season. The Colts did not have the performance that they wanted last season. They finished third in the AFC South Division. The team managed to win nine games despite Anthony Richardson’s injury. They failed to make it to the playoffs by a narrow margin. The team aims to strengthen its arsenal with all necessary weapons to make the post-season in the coming year.

Zaire Franklin is gearing up for a new challenge

As the new season approaches, Franklin is looking for more accomplishments. He has already coined the deal a special one. The LB felt he was an established name and could go for more challenges in the coming season.

This is what Franklin said following the contract renewal:

Now that I feel like I've [established] myself as one of the best, why not try to be No. 1? Why not try to change games? Why not try to be a guy that just wreaks havoc every time. The hunger and the fight is definitely there for sure. Zaire Franklin via ESPN

Franklin is 28 and will remain a major contributor to the team’s defense. If Anthony Richardson can emerge as a worthy quarterback, the Colts can do wonders for the team in the coming years also. It remains to be seen what the future holds for the Colts.

This article first appeared on FirstSportz and was syndicated with permission.

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