Colts Sign LB Zaire Franklin To Three-Year, $31M Extension

It’s a well-deserved raise for Franklin, who has developed into one of the leaders of the defense after signing a modest three-year, $12 million deal in 2022. 

Franklin, 27, is a former seventh-round pick of the Colts back in 2018. He played out the final year of his four-year $2,547,057 contract and was testing the open market as an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his NFL career when he returned to Indianapolis on a three-year, $12 million deal.

He was entering the final year of that contract in 2024 and was slated to make a base salary of $2.88 million.  

In 2023, Franklin appeared in 16 games for the Colts and recorded 179 total tackles, three tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and six pass deflections.