Zaire Franklin is a notorious name among the Indianapolis Colts. One of the best linebackers in the NFL and occasionally controversial, he hasn't shied away from expressing virtually any opinion. He's also one of the biggest supporters of quarterback Anthony Richardson, despite any struggles he may have been facing. He was one of the first people to defend him after he got benched, including going after Colts alum Pat McAfee for what Franklin felt like was unfair criticism of Richardson.
"I'm saying, though, y'all saying a bunch of s*** and picking up off a narrative that's building instead of being the actual adult in the room and telling them the real, and the real guidance, bro. The last couple weeks was a part of Anthony's story," he said. "That's a part of his growth. That's a part of his development and no, he don't f***ing got it. No, he has not f***ing arrived. He hasn't. He's on a process. He's on -- he joined. He's in the race that every single person in that building, all the players who actually are worth a s*** in the league, the journey that they are on ,and that is the never-ending process of getting better, bro. Never ending process, the never-ending pursuit to perfection. That's what he's on. That's what we all are on first and foremost."
So it's not much of a surprise to hear that, in the race between Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones, Franklin is firmly on Richardson's side. In an appearance on Good Morning Football,
It's a frenzy of @Colts today at the breakfast table 🧲@ZiggySmalls_ joins the show to take us through his journey in the NFL and what he's looking forward to next season ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/0b65XJHJ2K
— Good Morning Football (@gmfb) March 21, 2025
Franklin pointed out that for many quarterbacks, they struggled at first until they were able to find their footing - sometimes, in different circumstances.
"I love Anthony," Franklin said. "Obviously, being in there with him in the trenches, through the highs and lows of the season last year, it was tough, but obviously supporting him and his growth. But I think with the turn of how we've seen some of these quarterbacks, who were drafted extremely high, get put in new situations and be able to blossom. You watch Geno Smith, you watch Sam Darnold, and the list goes on of these different guys who get in another building--Baker Mayfield--and they're able to, with a fresh set of eyes, fresh set of situations, they're able to be successful and be able to play up to the expectations of their draft status."
He then added that he doesn't think the competititon between Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones will end up hurting him.
“Competition brought outin my career,” Franklin said. “When I came in, with Darius Leonard, Bobby Okereke, Anthony Walker, E.J. Speed, those guys made me better every single day. I learned so much from their game, and they learned from me. That’s part of the reason why we were so successful because we were able to grow together. So, competition’s going to help everybody. Obviously, I still love Anthony, still believe in Anthony, but I know Daniel Jones is going to help elevate that room, too.”