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Colts linebacker Zaire Franklin ranked No. 100 on NFL Network's Top 100 Players of 2024

It is the first time Franklin has appeared on the list in his NFL career.

Jul 22, 2024 at 08:00 PM

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Amanda Foster

Contributing Writer

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After a standout 2023 season, Zaire Franklin has been voted one of the best players in the NFL by his peers.

The Colts linebacker came in at No. 100 on NFL Network's Top 100 Players of 2024, marking his first appearance on the list in his NFL career.

2023 was a record-breaking season for Franklin, but not in the traditional way; he broke records he was already in sole possession of. His 179 tackles (107 solo) broke the Colts single-season franchise record for tackles in a season, surpassing the 166 tackles he tallied just one season earlier. By recording 10+ tackles in 11 games, Franklin also broke his own record for most 10-plus-tackle games in single season history (the previous record was 10 games in 2022). He totaled 15 or more tackles in three games in the 2023 season, with a career-high 17 tackles in Week 1 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Franklin's 179 tackles also placed him atop the AFC South, and second across the entire NFL, in the category.

In the past two seasons, Franklin has a total of 345 tackles for the second-most in the NFL.

He has been voted a team captain for the last four seasons and was the Colts' Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee in 2023. Franklin signed a contract extension in March, ensuring the vocal leader and dominant linebacker will be with the Colts for years to come.

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