Packers trade Colby Wooden for LB Zaire Franklin

The Green Bay Packers have traded defensive tackle Colby Wooden for former Indianapolis Colts off-ball linebacker Zaire Franklin, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The Packers started Wooden as their starting nose tackle in 2025, following the trade of Kenny Clark to the Dallas Cowboys, after Wooden previously played a three-technique earlier in his Green Bay career.

Without Wooden, Green Bay is strongly expected to be in the nose tackle market, as they’ll look for his replacement. Wooden was on the final year of his rookie contract, going into the 2026 season.

Franklin has been solid in the past, but received a 38.4 grade from Pro Football Focus in 2025, ranking him as the 87th of 88 qualifying linebackers per the scouting service. He is set to make $6.24 million in base salary with $765,000 in per-game roster bonuses this year, meaning that the Packers are back over the salary cap after their previous move of converting Xavier McKinney’s salary into a bonus got them under the cap.

It was reported this week that the Packers were talking to agents of off-ball linebackers at the NFL scouting combine, which was interesting for a couple of reasons. First of all, the team doesn’t need to be in the off-ball linebacker market, if they weren’t going to let Quay Walker, their starting Mike, walk in free agency. Take this as a sign that Walker is going to hit the open market.

Update: NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero is now reporting that the Packers wanted to re-sign Walker but couldn’t come to contract terms. Walker is “expected to have a strong market,” according to Pelissero. ESPN projects that Walker will receive in the $14 million per year range, which should net the Packers a fourth-round compensatory pick, if Green Bay doesn’t offset the loss with a free agent signing.