Colts captain and first-time All-Pro Zaire Franklin certainly had a breakout season in some regards during 2024, but in turn, some moments he’d also admittedly like to have back.
According to CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan, Indianapolis Colts All-Pro linebacker Zaire Franklin was the team’s ‘most valuable player’ during the 2024 season—which despite being named to his first career All-Pro and Pro Bowl team is a bit of a surprising choice:
Zaire Franklin
Franklin has been a productive linebacker for the Colts over the last few years but took it to new heights in 2024. For the first time in his seven-year career, Franklin was named as an All-Pro (Second Team) and to the Pro Bowl. This comes after a league-leading 173 tackles to go with 3.5 sacks (career high), six pass breakups and five forced fumbles.
This strikes me as a media report from a national writer who was following box scores more than the actual pulse and heart of this past year’s disappointing Colts team on a weekly basis.
I’ll say this, Franklin led the team with 173 total tackles and finished 2024 much better than he began it—as he and teammate E.J. Speed got off to a really rough start to begin last year at the Colts’ starting linebackers spots.
Not trying to pile it on here, or really even beat a dead horse, but Franklin finished with just a +60.3 overall grade by PFF (which was 55th best at his position this past season).
With some of his seemingly ill-advised public comments on his ‘The Trenches Show’ podcast and way-too-public feud with ESPN national media personality (and former Colts All-Pro punter) Pat McAfee, it arguably all became a critical distraction for the team—which the Colts weren’t a cohesive enough squad to overcome it (and really Franklin didn’t back up at least some of his podcast ‘smack-talk’ on the football field consistently).
#Colts GM Chris Ballard, asked about Zaire Franklin’s podcast, says he’ll keep his conversations private but that, “You can’t win with distractions.”
— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) January 10, 2025
Franklin would later apologize after the season for some of his conduct, but we’ll see how his actions speak going forward headed into the 2025 campaign—which are louder than words (and whether, he even elects to give up on the podcast to focus on football entirely).
That being said, there are at least a few players who are more deserving than Franklin in my mind in 2024 with All-Pro offensive guard Quenton Nelson, Pro Bowler Jonathan Taylor, and veteran standout DeForest Buckner all among them—and ahead of him in such an MVP ranking.
