Who do you think was the Indianapolis Colts’ 2024 team MVP?
Recently, Tyler Sullivan of CBS Sports made his selection for all 32 teams, and when it came to the Colts, he selected linebacker Zaire Franklin.
“For the first time in his seven-year career, Franklin was named as an All-Pro (Second Team) and to the Pro Bowl. This comes after a league-leading 173 tackles to go with 3.5 sacks (career high), six pass breakups and five forced fumbles.”
The 2024 season was certainly the most accomplished of Franklin’s career. As Sullivan mentions, Franklin made his first Pro Bowl and was named a second-team All-Pro for the first time as well.
He also led the NFL in tackles as a steady presence in the middle of the Colts defense and also had some splash plays as well, which included two interceptions along with the sacks, pass breakups, and forced fumbles that Sullivan mentioned.
However, it’s not as if it was all smooth sailing either. There were a number of games where the Colts run defense was run over, and while that certainly all doesn’t fall on Franklin–it’s a group effort–linebacker play is critical to limiting big runs.
We again saw opposing tight ends have success against the Colts’ linebacker unit as well–which, again, all falls on Franklin’s shoulders.
If we were truly sticking to the words ‘most valuable,’ while the production won’t be there due to missed time with injuries, DeForest Buckner is a strong candidate for that title on this Colts team.
By pass rush win rate and run stop rate, Buckner ranked among the best in football at the defensive tackle position. His presence on the field also immensely makes the defenders around him better with the attention he draws.
Another candidate is Jonathan Taylor. While there were some blunders of his own, for an offense that struggled to move the ball with any consistency, Taylor often provided a stabilizing presence, totaling 1,431 rushing yards in only 14 games.
