Last season, the Green Bay Packers made headlines when they participated in a major trade with the Dallas Cowboys to add Micah Parsons on defense. Parsons earned another Pro Bowl selection in his first season with Green Bay, but his season ended before the playoffs due to a serious injury.
On Saturday, the Packers bolstered their defense even more with a reported trade they made with the Indianapolis Colts for former Pro Bowl linebacker Zaire Franklin. The former Syracuse player spent his entire professional career with Indianapolis, initially joining the team in 2018 as a seventh-round draft pick, and has since emerged as a stellar part of their defense.
With Franklin joining Parsons, Green Bay presents a more imposing defense than before. Parsons is still in rehabilitation and recovery mode from the season-ending torn ACL in his left knee during Week 15, but will be back menacing the opposition.
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Based on early indications, Green Bay’s Pro Bowler was surprised but also disappointed in what occurred with the Packers’ deal.
After ESPN’s NFL Insider Adam Schefter reported about the trade on Saturday, Parsons became active on X (formerly Twitter) and expressed his thoughts on the deal.
“Oh sh**,” he wrote in his reaction while sharing Schefter’s initial report, seeming to indicate his approval of the move. However, his sentiments changed to disappointment when he learned which of his teammates went to Indianapolis in the deal.
“Nooooooo,” Parsons wrote, sharing someone’s comment about the Packers sending defensive tackle Colby Wooden to the Colts.
The 29-year-old Franklin appeared in 132 games for Indianapolis, making 82 starts. Franklin led the NFL in combined tackles with 173 in 2024, earning All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors for the first time in his career for his contributions on defense.
He should now help the Packers’ defense situation significantly, as all indications are that they’ll lose linebacker Quay Walker, after the team made its best attempts to re-sign him before free agency. They should have Parsons back on the field by Week 3 or 4 at the latest, barring any setbacks.
Meanwhile, Wooden was a fourth-round pick for the Packers in 2023. He started in 16 of Green Bay’s games last season, recording 50 tackles, six tackles for loss, and three quarterback hits.Â
The move was helpful for the Colts in parting ways with Franklin and adding Wooden. They rid themselves of Franklin’s $7 million cap hit as they work to get under the salary cap.
The trade between Green Bay and Indianapolis becomes official on Wednesday, March 11, when the league’s calendar year officially begins.
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