You can count me among the people who were initially skeptical of the Zaire Franklin acquisition. Brian Gutekunst seems to have had an over-obsession with linebackers ever since De’Vondre Campbell’s out-of-nowhere All-Pro season in 2021, and his move to add Franklin as a replacement for Quay Walker, then reward him with a reworked contract, seemed like putting too many eggs in an aging and undersized basket.
You can also count me as very glad that Gutekunst pulled the trigger on that move, especially
since he only had to give up Colby Wooden, always a poor fit in Green Bay, to do it.
Franklin has been a more-than-solid running mate for Edgerrin Cooper to this point. He’s played literally every snap of the Packers’ four games so far and he’s currently third on the team in tackles behind Evan Williams and Cooper.
And Franklin donning the green dot had freed up Cooper to focus on doing Edgerrin Cooper things, always a plus when you’ve got a playmaker of his caliber.
But now, Franklin is even more important to the Packers’ defense. With Cooper done for the year (and, unfortunately, at least part of 2027), Franklin’s contributions become all the more crucial to a defense that was just trying to get by until Micah Parsons came back. And with Parsons’ return apparently slightly slowed, someone’s going to have to make up for Cooper’s playmaking ability until the Packers’ best defender is back in the lineup.
So yeah, I’m glad the Packers nabbed Zaire Franklin when they could. At least we’re not heading into a game against the Bears with Isaiah McDuffie and Ty’Ron Hopper as the starting linebackers.
Packers LB Zaire Franklin is ‘running the show’ | Packers.com
Zaire Franklin is already carrying a big load, and he’s even more important to the Packers’ defense now that Edgerrin Cooper is gone
Packers LB Edgerrin Cooper was having All-Pro level season before injury | Packers Wire
Not that you needed another reason to be bummed about
Packers Winners and Losers After First Quarter of NFL Season | Sports Illustrated
A lot of injury-related losers, I’m sorry to say.
How Chicago Bears reporter Kevin Fishbain views the Green Bay Packers’ Week 5 matchup | Packers News ($)
The view from the opposing sideline is pretty measured, though Fishbain likes the Bears’ chances.
Prisco’s Week 5 NFL picks: Cowboys rout Buccaneers on Thursday, Packers upset Bears | CBS Sports
At least one national writer likes the Packers’ chances to play spoiler.
Is the Taco Bell ultra marathon the toughest event in sports and why is the answer a resounding yes? | AOL.com
Get a gutful of Taco Bell and then run 30 miles. Sounds plenty challenging to me!
Packers discussion in the Feed
If you needed more reasons to root for Zaire Franklin, here are a few. Not only is he holding down a key role on the Packers’ defense, but he’s supporting the community, too!
The Feed is the place for you to share whatever it is you want to talk about, big or small.Head over to the editor to start writing today!
Go Pack Go—wherever you go!
Keep Packers coverage and conversation at your fingertips with a faster, easier game-day experience on the SB Nation app.
- Join Packers fans in our live game chat
- Browse with fewer ads
- Seamlessly move between communities
- Comment and post faster
Download the SB Nation app on iOS or Android.
