In the regular season finale on Sunday, linebacker Zaire Franklin has a chance to set a franchise record for the Indianapolis Colts.
This season hasn’t been what anyone expected it to be for the Indianapolis Colts but there still have been some things worth celebrating and some amazing things to see. A couple of the highlights from this season are the emergence of Grover Stewart and Zaire Franklin. Both Stewart and Franklin have been instrumental members of the Colts since their arrivals in 2017 and 2018, however, they took their games to another level this season and established their names on the national level.
For Franklin, he has the opportunity to put this special season into the record books on Sunday. When Franklin and the Colts take the field in Week 18 against the Houston Texans, Franklin will be three tackles away from tying Shaquille Leonard’s franchise record for tackles in a season with 163. If Franklin plays like he’s been playing all season, he should be able to shatter the record and have his name stand alone in franchise history.
Zaire Franklin on pace to set single-season tackle record for Colts
Entering the season, Franklin wasn’t even expected to be a full-time starter. With Leonard and Bobby Okereke starting, it was believed that Franklin would continue to rotate in and remain a prominent force on special teams and a locker room leader. That’s why the Colts re-signed him for three years for just $10 million total. However, with Leonard dealing with his injuries, Franklin was thrown into the lineup and he capitalized on his opportunity.
From his first game of the season, when he recorded eight tackles in Week 1, it was clear that Franklin had taken another step and was playing at a different level. He continued to improve and step his game up each week, having 10 games with double-digit tackles. Between him, Bobby Okereke, and Indy’s dominant defensive line, the Colts had a really quality defense this season. Franklin was the engine of the unit.
Now, with one game left, all he needs is four tackles to set a new record. The lowest amount of tackles Franklin has had in a game this season is six. So, as long as he is healthy, Zaire Franklin should be the franchise record-holder for most tackles in a single season. Of course, there’s the case that Leonard did it in a 16-game season while only playing in 15 games, but regardless, what Franklin is doing this season deserves celebrating.
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