The Green Bay Packers addressed one of their most pressing defensive needs on March 7, trading defensive tackle Colby Wooden to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for linebacker Zaire Franklin. The deal, confirmed by a source to Packers News, reflects general manager Brian Gutekunst’s recognition that the linebacker position required immediate attention as the new league year approaches and free agency looms for incumbent starter Quay Walker.
Gutekunst had spent two years publicly committed to retaining Walker, a first-round pick in 2022. That commitment began to show cracks at last month’s NFL scouting combine, when the GM acknowledged there would be competition at linebacker heading into next season. With Walker and Edgerrin Cooper already in place as incumbent starters, adding Franklin sends a clear signal about where the organization stands on Walker’s future in Green Bay.
What Green Bay gains and what it gives up
Franklin arrives with a résumé that addresses the Packers’ most immediate concerns at the position. The 30-year-old has missed just one game in his entire career, back in 2023, and has made 67 starts over the past four seasons — a durability record that is among the most reliable in the league at his position. His best season came in 2024, when he earned second-team All-Pro honors and led the entire NFL with 173 tackles, adding 3.5 sacks, five forced fumbles and two interceptions. That performance earned him his only Pro Bowl selection.
There was some regression last season, but Franklin still produced 125 tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble — numbers that would represent a meaningful upgrade over what the Packers had at the position. His pass coverage is not considered a strength, though that concern is tempered by the fact that Walker’s coverage ability was frequently a liability throughout his own tenure in Green Bay.
Wooden’s departure is not without cost. He was Green Bay’s most effective run stopper along the defensive line last season, and his loss further thins a defensive front already dealing with the ripple effects of trading Kenny Clark to the Dallas Cowboys as part of the package that brought Micah Parsons to Green Bay. The Packers are banking on what is expected to be a deep class of nose tackles in the upcoming draft to offset Wooden’s absence.
How the trade fits Green Bay’s offseason strategy
The Franklin deal is constructed to give Gutekunst flexibility rather than consume it. Franklin carries two years remaining on his contract, with a $6.24 million base salary and $765,000 in per-game roster bonuses in 2026, accounting for $7 million against the cap. With Wooden’s $1.1145 million salary cleared from the books, the net cap impact lands at approximately $5.9 million added to Green Bay’s obligations this season.
That number is manageable given the avenues the Packers have available to create additional room. After restructuring safety Xavier McKinney’s contract last week, Green Bay still has several veteran deals on the roster that can be adjusted before the new league year begins March 11. The organization does not appear to be in a difficult position cap-wise heading into that deadline.
Walker’s Green Bay tenure appears to be ending
The more significant subtext of the Franklin acquisition is what it suggests about Walker. The former 22nd overall pick carries genuine momentum into free agency following a strong 2025 season, but the Packers have shown consistent hesitation about meeting his market value. As last fall progressed, the sense that Green Bay and Walker were heading toward a parting grew steadily. The Zaire Franklin trade has now made that outcome feel close to certain.
By acquiring a proven starter at linebacker without spending draft capital, Gutekunst has freed the Packers to direct their premium picks and cap resources toward cornerback and defensive line the two areas of greatest need as the roster reconstruction following a difficult season continues in earnest.
