Feb. 27, 2026, 9:53 a.m. ET

Indianapolis Colts’ linebacker Zaire Franklin is under contract for the 2026 season, but it’s not a given that he will be on the team either.

Franklin comes with an $8.25 million salary cap hit in 2026, and if the Colts were to release him, the team would save $5.75 million in cap dollars. Indianapolis is in a good spot currently with the cap, but the team is also expected to add some hefty deals to the books with Alec Pierce and Daniel Jones needing new contracts.

At the NFL combine, general manager Chris Ballard was asked about Franklin’s future.

“I think you guys all know my feelings for Zaire Franklin,” Ballard said, via the Indy Star. “We have a very close relationship. I thought he played good football, and the addition of Pratt, when we got him into the mix, he ended up adding a much needed will that we needed. The future, we’ll see. Pratt’s up. Zaire’s under contract, so we’ll see how that ends up playing out.”

Franklin was a Pro Bowler in 2024 and has been extremely durable throughout his career. He’s been at his best playing closer to the line of scrimmage, helping out in the run game, and making plays as a blitzer.

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However, what the Colts need is more of a coverage presence at the position. Ballard also mentioned wanting to get younger and faster on defense this offseason, which could be applied to the linebacker position, and he noted that addressing the front seven would be a priority.

Franklin has provided a steady presence at linebacker, but there is room for more at this position as well, which could lead to the Colts going in a different direction.

But with that said, even with Franklin, the Colts are short on experience at this position, so moving on from him only makes the need here greater. And as mentioned already, the Colts aren’t hurting for cap space at the moment, so pinching pennies by cutting a key contributor like Franklin may not be viewed as necessary.

If the Colts are going to make this move, one would think it would happen in the coming weeks before the NFL’s legal tampering period opens on March 9th.