I won’t do the “I’m getting old” thing because I’m only 33. Still, things are changing in the body, and I don’t like it. I got back out on the golf course yesterday for the first time in a month, and by the 14th hole, my upper back was tightening up on me. By the 17th, I favored it to the point where I had a lazy lapse in mechanics and slammed my driver into the deck on a tee shot, and my right hand was ringing pretty good. Getting old(er) stinks. Anyway, I read a good story this morning while contemplating mortality. The Athletic’s James Boyd created a phenomenal feature piece on Colts linebacker Zaire Franklin.
In the Colts’ season finale against the Houston Texans last season, Zaire Franklin logged seven combo tackles. That game will be remembered by most as the day the Texans cost themselves the No. 1 pick in the draft. It’ll be remembered by Franklin as the day he knew he made it. After Zaire Franklin tied teammate Shaquille Leonard’s franchise tackles record with 10 minutes to play in the third quarter, he went to the sideline with an ankle injury. After reading Jame Boyd’s feature on Franklin this morning, it’s no surprise he labored on and recorded four more tackles.
“I put all my pain into the game,” Franklin said. “I promised them that I would make them proud of me,” Franklin told Boyd. That was regarding his late Mother and Grandmother, who raised him but have since passed. With 2:55 left in the fourth quarter, Franklin took down Texans running back Dare Ogunbowale for his 164th tackle, officially becoming the franchise’s single-season record holder for total stops.
Franklin lost his mom and grandma 77 days apart in high school. But not before they made him the man that he is today. “I promised them that I would make them proud of me.” James Boyd did an excellent job painting the picture and walking us through Franklin’s journey from the 235th pick in the 2018 NFL Draft to the Colts’ franchise record holder for tackles in 2022.
Zaire Franklin lost his mom and grandma 77 days apart in high school.
He lost his aunt during his third NFL season.
Yet, he never lost hope. The #Colts linebacker is a leader and record-setter.
In a story filed over at ESPN late Wednesday evening, Mike Reiss reported that the New England Patriots were in trouble with the NFL. According to Reiss, the Patriots are losing two days of organized team activities due to violating offseason rules. New England was set to have an OTA today but canceled it yesterday.
Per Reiss, the Patriots will lose today’s OTA and one next week. The specific rule violation wasn’t included in Reiss’ report. The Patriots also declined to comment.
News story: Patriots lose two days of organized team activities due to violation of offseason rules. https://t.co/2gBWCKTyPI
We had some injuries pop up in OTAs on Wednesday. Ravens wide receiver Mike Thomas has a separated shoulder. John Harbaugh said that might be an injury that needs surgery to repair.
Also, an unfortunate update out of D.C. on Wednesday:
#Commanders TE Armani Rogers did, in fact, tear his Achilles yesterday, source said following his MRI. He plans to have surgery next week from expert Dr. Robert Anderson and should make a full recovery. But out indefinitely.— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 24, 2023
In honor of the Bengals’ birthday, the social team invited chaos into the comments. This is an excellent move by any social team. The clap-backs did not disappoint, either!
To celebrate, we will be responding to the haters in the comments below.
Taylor Swift’s Eras tour heads to East Rutherford, New Jersey, this weekend. The Jets’ social team polled the players on their favorite Taylor Swift songs during OTAs this week. However, this one wasn’t as impressive as the Patriots one. Still, fun May NFL content on the social media side.
In today’s much-to-do about-nothing over at PFT, the Commanders might have to change their name (again). Or, they might not. So, the Commanders had their trademark application denied. PFT wondered aloud whether or not this would lead to another D.C. rebranding. However, they then answered their own question by saying that the owner of the similar trademarks is on record and that he will give them to the team. Then they asked whether or not a new owner would want to rebrand anyway. Got all that? Good.
Patrick grew up in Chicago's Bridgeport and Garfield Ridge neighborhoods before moving to the Western Suburbs of Chicago before eventually relocating to the Las Vegas area with his family in 2023. He started with Bleacher Nation in 2021 and has spent time as a Staff Writer and on the Chicago Blackhawks beat. He is currently a writer and editor at Bleacher Nation covering the Chicago Bears and the NFL at large and the author of the Bleacher Nation Newsletter. Patrick is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA).
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NEWSLETTER
