After more than a week on the sideline recovering from ankle surgery, Colts linebacker Zaire Franklin finally made his training camp debut on Saturday.
As he is coming off ankle surgery, Franklin will go through a ramp-up period, so while he is back in pads, there’s no telling when he’ll put his helmet back on. He was seen going through warm up drills but did not participate in team activities just yet.
#Colts‘ Zaire Franklin is out warming up for practice. Head to https://t.co/33Ugb8Kcl4 for plenty of camp coverage via insiders @JoelAErickson & @NateAtkins_ ->https://t.co/bKDBxuM7Lg pic.twitter.com/YCYb5ZU6rN
— Clark Wade (@ClarkWade34) August 2, 2025
Earlier in the week, Colts head coach Shane Steichen was optimistic that Franklin would return to action in the near future.
“Hopefully we get him back out there this week,” Steichen said on Monday.
Indy intentionally avoided putting Franklin on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list because they believed he would make it back soon. Now, the defensive captain appears fully ready to get back in the mix.
Franklin is coming off a career season in 2024. He led the NFL in tackles (173) on his way to earning his first Pro Bowl selection and was named to the All-Pro second team as well.
Only time will tell how quickly Franklin can return to the field, but Indy needs him back sooner rather than later. In his absence, their lack of depth at the linebacker position has been obvious, so getting their top starter back is a step towards improvement already.
