The Green Bay Packers experienced an exodus of talent this offseason, losing two contributors at wide receiver, two starting offensive linemen and a couple longtime figure pieces on defense.
They countered those departures with a few shrewd moves, one of which was acquiring linebacker Zaire Franklin from the Indianapolis Colts.
Franklin, who detailed on Friday's episode of The Insiders that Colts general manager Chris Ballard provided him a choice in his landing spot ahead of the March trade, had plenty drawing him to Green Bay.
"It starts with the quarterback," Franklin told NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero. "Jordan Love, I told him he was the main reason I came to Green Bay. I wasn't coming to Green Bay or going to an organization without a proven franchise QB. He is that. He's the type of quarterback you want to be around. Great manner in the locker room, competes his ass off, is constantly working to get better. It's been a long time since I've seen a QB1 just really raising the level of everybody by his work ethic like that. It's really dope to see.
"Then, at the end of the day, we've got one of the best defensive players on the planet in Micah Parsons, as well. When you've got a quarterback and you've got a pass rush, you've got a chance. … I think these guys are ready to take the next step. I'm ready to help lead them there and do my part to bring a Lombardi back to Green Bay."
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Franklin joins a team that indeed has realistic Super Bowl aspirations but has badly stumbled at season's end the past two years, falling in the Wild Card round to cap off a three-game losing streak during the 2024 campaign and a miserable five-game skid in 2025.
Where Franklin, 29, fits into the equation of rectifying those failures is as a cheaper, but well-established replacement to linebacker Quay Walker. Though his play dipped last season, he's only a year removed from a Pro Bowl campaign in which he led the league with 173 tackles. He also has some connections within the organization that should benefit him despite leaving his NFL home of eight years.
His new defensive coordinator, Jonathan Gannon, coached cornerbacks in Indy during Franklin's first three years there, and the linebacker noted he's excited for the "fast and physical" style Gannon promises to implement.
"We always bonded on our overall love for the game, our love for the mental mindset and what it takes to compete at this level," Franklin said of his relationship with Gannon. "J.G. knows I love ball, he knows how I love to work and come in and compete and get after it every day. We're truly creating something special in that defensive room with pieces all over the board, from (Xavier) McKinney to Micah. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what it's going to look like come this fall."
And even though he hasn't yet played with his off-ball partner Edgerrin Cooper, an ascendent talent for Green Bay, he had a chance to connect with him through the Colts and Packers' joint practices during last year's training camp.
"I had an opportunity when did joint practice last year against Green Bay, just grabbing young Edge and telling him I respected his game and how he was growing in this league," Franklin said. "Having been with him the past couple months or so, just seeing how he works, his athletic ability, man, it's kind of funny when you're in Year 9, you're watching a young dude running and bend and dip and make all these moves. He's extremely talented. He's a playmaker. The first thing I told him when I got traded is that we're going to be the best duo in the world. That's the standard that I'm holding ourselves to, that's the standard I hold myself to, and we're just going to continue to work and compete to get there."
For now, the grass is a vibrant green to Franklin. The Packers have the parts, from Love under center to Parsons helming the edge rush once he returns from his torn ACL to established talent throughout each level of the defense.
That's been the case during the past couple years of the Love era, though, without a true breakthrough result. Somewhat of an underrated addition, perhaps Franklin can prove to be part of the difference this time around.
"Just thankful to be in that building, thankful to be a part of a team with so much history and with such a bright future," Franklin said. "It's a lot of talent, it's a lot of potential in that building, but we've got to go earn it every single day."