The Green Bay Packers look like they came out ahead in their offseason swap with the Indianapolis Colts.
Green Bay sent defensive lineman Colby Wooden to Indianapolis in exchange for linebacker Zaire Franklin, and Franklin has already become a major piece for the Packers. With Quay Walker gone to the Las Vegas Raiders in free agency, Franklin stepped in as the team’s starting Mike, landed a new contract, and was even named a team captain in the preseason opener.
Wooden’s run on the Colts side, though, has not gone nearly as smoothly. On Sunday, ESPN/NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Indianapolis is waiving Wooden, who had started for Green Bay as an out-of-place nose tackle in 2025 after Kenny Clark was included in the Micah Parsons trade. Wooden now figures to land elsewhere, either on the open market or via a waiver claim.
A return to Green Bay looks unlikely given the Packers’ depth up front, unless the team views him as a better 3-4 nose tackle option than Jonathan Ford, who has been their “starter” in base looks. Those base packages are expected to account for about one-third of Green Bay’s defensive snaps this season.
Still, there’s a reason Wooden got a look in that role in the first place. The Packers’ move to a 3-4 defense came at the same time they moved on from their 2025 nose tackle, a player who came out of college at 273 pounds. He has added noticeable bulk since 2024, even though his listed weight has not changed.
Best of luck to Wooden wherever he lands next. Not many players can say they started out under 280 pounds and still managed to get NFL starts at nose tackle for a playoff team. He may not have always been in the cleanest spots, but he kept showing up when asked.
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