{"id":848950,"date":"2026-04-02T09:56:37","date_gmt":"2026-04-02T09:56:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/848950\/"},"modified":"2026-04-02T09:56:37","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T09:56:37","slug":"why-colts-trades-of-pittman-franklin-were-gut-wrenching-but-necessary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/848950\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Colts’ trades of Pittman, Franklin were ‘gut-wrenching’ but necessary"},"content":{"rendered":"

PHOENIX \u2014 The Colts<\/a> had to make some difficult decisions this offseason.<\/p>\n

The kind general manager Chris Ballard<\/a> hasn\u2019t made often in his decade at the helm in Indianapolis.<\/p>\n

Famous for putting his faith in his core guys, Ballard has typically let those players reach the end of their contracts before saying goodbye. But Indianapolis traded away two of those pieces early this offseason, sending wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. to the Steelers to clear salary and trading middle linebacker Zaire Franklin to Green Bay in exchange for defensive tackle Colby Wooden.<\/p>\n

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Moving those two locker-room leaders was necessary.<\/p>\n

It also wasn\u2019t easy.<\/p>\n

\u201cPitt and Zaire represent our culture and what we want players to stand for, but Chris also said we need to get younger,\u201d Colts principal owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon said. \u201cWe have a hard cap, and we have to look at sort of what\u2019s best for the whole, and we needed to get some other people signed. \u2026 I just feel really happy that we were able to get them to other teams where I know they\u2019re going to contribute there and be successful, but honestly, it\u2019s gut-wrenching.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Oct 19, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle DeForest Buckner (99) looks on after the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

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Oct 19, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle DeForest Buckner (99) looks on after the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

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Indianapolis Colts guard Quenton Nelson (56) lead blocks for Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (28) on Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025, against the Arizona Cardinals at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.<\/p>\n

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INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 28: Charvarius Ward #7 of the Indianapolis Colts on field during the second quarter against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on September 28, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

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Oct 5, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (28) runs with the ball against the Las Vegas Raiders during the second quarter at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

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Indianapolis Colts cornerback Xavien Howard (4) and safety Camryn Bynum (0) celebrate after Bynum forces a turn over against the Miami Dolphins during the first half of a game Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.<\/p>\n

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Dec 7, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones (17) looks to throw downfield against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the first half at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Travis Register-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

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EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY – NOVEMBER 17: Grover Stewart #90 of the Indianapolis Colts reacts after a fourth down stop during the second quarter against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on November 17, 2024 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Luke Hales\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

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Indianapolis Colts cornerback Kenny Moore II (23) celebrates Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025, during the game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The Indianapolis Colts defeated the Tennessee Titans, 38-14.<\/p>\n

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Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. (5) during warmups before the game against the Miami Dolphins at Lucas Oil Stadium.<\/p>\n

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Indianapolis Colts cornerback Sauce Gardner (1) reacts against the Atlanta Falcons during the NFL Berlin Game at Olympic Stadium on Nov. 9, 2025.<\/p>\n

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Sep 7, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones (17) celebrates with offensive tackle Bernhard Raimann (79) after a touchdown during the first half at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

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Indianapolis Colts tight end Tyler Warren (84) pulls in a catch for a first down Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, during a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.<\/p>\n

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KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI – NOVEMBER 23: Laiatu Latu #97 of the Indianapolis Colts intercepts a pass made by Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs (not pictured) in the first quarter of the game at Arrowhead Stadium on November 23, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

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Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs (2) makes a catch Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, during a game against the Houston Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The play was called back on a penalty.<\/p>\n

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INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – SEPTEMBER 22: Jaylon Jones #40 of the Indianapolis Colts reacts during the first half of the game against the Chicago Bears at Lucas Oil Stadium on September 22, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

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Indianapolis Colts cornerback Mekhi Blackmon (29) runs with the ball after intercepting a pass thrown by Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith (7) on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025, during a game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The Colts defeated the Raiders 40-6.<\/p>\n

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Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Ashton Dulin (16) reacts after a kickoff return Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, during a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.<\/p>\n

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Indianapolis Colts punter Rigoberto Sanchez (8) kicks the ball Monday, July 28, 2025, during training camp held at Grand Park in Westfield.<\/p>\n

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Indianapolis Colts defensive end JT Tuimoloau (91) sings while warming-up Thursday, July 31, 2025, during Colts Training Camp at Grand Park in Westfield.<\/p>\n

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Indianapolis Colts long snapper Luke Rhodes (46) snaps Friday, July 25, 2025, during training camp held at Grand Park in Westfield.<\/p>\n

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Indianapolis Colts offensive tackle Matt Goncalves (71) prepares for stretching Thursday, July 24, 2025, during training camp held at Grand Park in Westfield.<\/p>\n

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Indianapolis Colts cornerback Justin Walley (27) stands on the field Tuesday, June 10, 2025, during NFL Colts mandatory mini camp at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center in Indianapolis.<\/p>\n

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Indianapolis Colts place kicker Spencer Shrader (3) kicks Friday, July 25, 2025, during training camp held at Grand Park in Westfield.<\/p>\n

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Indianapolis Colts offensive tackle Bernhard Raimann (79) gets a five from fellow offensive tackle Blake Freeland (73) on Friday, July 25, 2025, during training camp held at Grand Park in Westfield.<\/p>\n

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Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle Adetomiwa Adebawore brings down Las Vegas Raiders running back Dylan Laube.<\/p>\n

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Nov 23, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Indianapolis Colts center Tanor Bortolini (60) lines up against the Kansas City Chiefs during the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

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PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA – NOVEMBER 02: Jalen Travis #75 of the Indianapolis Colts takes the field during player introductions before the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium on November 02, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

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BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – AUGUST 07: Safety Daniel Scott #32 of the Indianapolis Colts reacts against the Baltimore Ravens in the second half during the NFL Preseason 2025 game between Indianapolis Colts and Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on August 7, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

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Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Laquon Treadwell (13) celebrates with Indianapolis Colts tight end Will Mallory (86) after scoring a touchdown Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025, during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati.<\/p>\n

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SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – DECEMBER 14: Blake Grupe #10 of the Indianapolis Colts kicks a field goal during the fourth quarter against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field on December 14, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Jane Gershovich\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

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Nov 23, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Anthony Gould (6) runs against the Kansas City Chiefs in the second half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

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Dec 22, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Tennessee Titans tight end Chig Okonkwo (85) is tackled by Indianapolis Colts linebacker Jaylon Carlies (57) during the second half at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

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Indianapolis Colts guard Quenton Nelson (56) and guard Josh Sills (66) walk onto the field Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025, before a joint practice with the Green Bay Packers during training camp at Grand Park in Westfield.<\/p>\n

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Oct 19, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Green Bay Packers defensive lineman Colby Wooden (96) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

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Miami Dolphins safety Dante Trader Jr. (11) brings down Indianapolis Colts running back DJ Giddens (21) during the second half of a game Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The Colts defeated the Dolphins 33-8.<\/p>\n

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Indianapolis Colts guard Dalton Tucker (68) gets a drink of water Thursday, July 24, 2025, during training camp held at Grand Park in Westfield.<\/p>\n

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Indianapolis Colts tight end Sean McKeon.<\/p>\n

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Aug 9, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; New York Giants center Jimmy Morrissey (67) warms up prior to the game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

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Jan 4, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Riley Leonard (15) throws downfield against the Houston Texans during the first half at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

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Indianapolis Colts cornerback Johnathan Edwards (35) reacts after breaking up a pass Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025, during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati.<\/p>\n

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Indianapolis Colts linebacker Austin Ajiake (58) wraps up Houston Texans wide receiver Jaylin Noel (14) on Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, during a game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.<\/p>\n

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Aug 16, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts defensive end Durell Nchami (74) hits Green Bay Packers quarterback Taylor Elgersma (19) as he throws during the first half at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

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Aug 9, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker John Bullock (57) looks on after a preseason game against the Tennessee Titans at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

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BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – AUGUST 07: Cornerback Reuben Lowery #30 of the Baltimore Ravens in action during the NFL Preseason 2025 game between Indianapolis Colts and Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on August 7, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

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Indianapolis Colts safety Trey Washington (41) catches the ball Thursday, July 31, 2025, during Colts Training Camp at Grand Park in Westfield.<\/p>\n

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Aug 16, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts safety Hunter Wohler (30) catches a pass during warmups prior to the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

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Aug 6, 2025; Foxborough, MA, USA; Washington Commanders safety Ben Nikkel (48) stretches at training camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

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Bayron Matos, from the Dominican Republic, is practicing with the Miami Dolphins as an offensive tackle.<\/p>\n

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Indianapolis Colts offensive tackle Jack Wilson (76) on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, during the first day of training camp held at Grand Park in Westfield.<\/p>\n

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Indianapolis Colts player Tim Smith (93) stretches during training Camp at Grand Park on Saturday, July 26, 2025, in Westfield, Ind.<\/p>\n

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Indianapolis Colts running back Ulysses Bentley IV (37) dances after scoring a touchdown Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025, during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati.<\/p>\n

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Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Coleman Owen (3) rushes the ball Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025, during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati.<\/p>\n

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Aug 23, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Seth Henigan (19) walks toward the sideline against the Miami Dolphins during the fourth quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

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Indianapolis Colts linebacker Joseph Vaughn (49) works to bring down Cincinnati Bengals running back Quali Conley (40) on Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025, during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati.<\/p>\n

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Dec 30, 2023; Tucson, AZ, USA; Wyoming Cowboys safety Wyett Ekeler (31) against the Toledo Rockets during the Arizona Bowl at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports<\/p>\n

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Tennessee Titans linebacker Arden Key (49) is congratulated after sacking New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) during their game at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024.<\/p>\n

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EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY – SEPTEMBER 11: Defensive end Micheal Clemons #72 of the New York Jets warms up before the NFL game against the Buffalo Bills at MetLife Stadium on September 11, 2023 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

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Alec Pierce #14 of the Indianapolis Colts scores a touchdown in the first quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Lucas Oil Stadium on January 05, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana.<\/p>\n

The Colts had two clear priorities this offseason.<\/p>\n

Bring back starting quarterback Daniel Jones and wide receiver Alec Pierce. Both men commanded big money; Jones inked a two-year deal worth $88 million and Pierce signed a four-year, $114 million deal.<\/p>\n

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Pittman was scheduled to carry a $29 million cap hit. With that in mind, the long-time No. 1 wide receiver was an obvious target for savings.<\/p>\n

\u201cA little of it financial,\u201d Ballard said. \u201cSometimes you\u2019ve got to make financial decisions that you don\u2019t always like, but you have to. There\u2019s ways to squeeze around it but this was a case where, financially, to do some of the things we want to do, we had to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

What was left unsaid was that the Colts chose Pierce over Pittman because the two men\u2019s careers<\/a> appear to be on different trajectories.<\/p>\n

Pierce, coming off back-to-back seasons of leading the NFL in yards per catch, has transformed himself into a complete receiver. By Pittman\u2019s own admission, he didn\u2019t live up to his standards in the second half of the season, averaging just 9.8 yards per reception on a team-leading 78 catches in 2025.<\/p>\n

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That doesn\u2019t mean the decision was easy.<\/p>\n

Pittman\u2019s toughness and leadership left a significant impact on the Indianapolis organization, playing through a broken back that Irsay-Gordon admitted this week left her wondering if the smart decision would have been to sit.<\/p>\n

\u201cFirst off, a ton of respect for Michael Pittman and what he did for this organization for so many years, the toughness he brought,\u201d head coach Shane Steichen said. \u201cHe\u2019s going to be missed on this team and in this city.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trading Franklin saved Indianapolis more than $5 million in cap space.<\/p>\n

But that decision was influenced more by the other priority Ballard set for the offseason.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWith Zaire, that was not easy, because he\u2019s such a great dude and a good player, and his maturity has been fun to watch, but saying that, one of the things we talked to (defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo) about, we wanted to get younger,\u201d Ballard said. \u201cSometimes you\u2019re going to have to live through booboos with young players, but we\u2019re willing to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Indianapolis signed veteran linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither to provide insurance, but the Colts will likely try to find Franklin\u2019s replacement in a draft that is deep at the linebacker position<\/a>.<\/p>\n

From a football perspective, the decisions on Pittman and Franklin were obvious to Indianapolis.<\/p>\n

The personal side of the move made it difficult.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI probably shouldn\u2019t call them babies, but that\u2019s my joke,\u201d Irsay-Gordon said. \u201cWhen we have rookies, they\u2019re like our babies, and I think we\u2019re really fortunate, in a lot of ways, to have guys like Grover (Stewart) who\u2019ve been with us since he was a baby. \u2026 They\u2019re great teammates, so they understood, but I still know I\u2019m going to miss them a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joel A. Erickson<\/a> and Nathan Brown<\/a> cover the Colts all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV<\/a> and with the Colts Insider newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Colts trades of Pittman, Franklin ‘gut-wrenching’ but necessary<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"PHOENIX \u2014 The Colts had to make some difficult decisions this offseason. The kind general manager Chris Ballard…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":848951,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2059],"tags":[7524,4994,5422,3623,2005,2772,19208,39065,7,2004,392,2381,4983,6,1473,4995],"class_list":{"0":"post-848950","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-indianapolis-colts","8":"tag-akeem-davis-gaither","9":"tag-alec-pierce","10":"tag-chris-ballard","11":"tag-colby","12":"tag-colts","13":"tag-daniel-jones","14":"tag-difficult-decisions","15":"tag-financial-decisions","16":"tag-football","17":"tag-indianapolis","18":"tag-indianapolis-colts","19":"tag-indianapoliscolts","20":"tag-michael-pittman","21":"tag-nfl","22":"tag-wide-receiver","23":"tag-zaire-franklin"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116334526371013033","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/848950","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=848950"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/848950\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/848951"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=848950"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=848950"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=848950"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}