Colts linebacker Zaire Franklin said he's focused on winning after trading jabs with Pat McAfee on their respective podcasts.
weekend in franklin I applauded McAfee.McAfee, a former Colts punter turned media star, responded to criticism of Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson by pointing out a number of issues facing Indianapolis. Ta.
Franklin weighed in on Monday when a reporter asked him if he had any plans to get involved with McAfee on his podcast, “The Trenches.”
“Honestly, I have a lot of respect for Pat. I know exactly what he is for the organization and for our city, but frankly, I probably I don't think they did the right thing in approaching this issue,” Franklin said. “Now he said some things about me, so it's like… we're all family. We all want the same thing. At the end of the day, Pat is what's best for us. I think they want to do something, they want us to win, they want to cheer for something, they want to do something on their show and shout in a good way.
“And that's what I want for him. At the end of the day, I'm in the locker room, I'm on the ground with my boots on, but I want to give something to the fans. I want to give my graduates something to be proud of and something to keep rooting for. So there's no context, because at the end of the day, we all want the same thing.”
When a reporter joked that if McAfee appeared on a podcast, “just think about the ratings,” Franklin laughed.
“You know, the playoff ratings were the best,” Franklin said. “So as long as we can compete in the playoffs, that's all that matters.”
McAfee, who lives in Indianapolis with his wife and daughter, is a regular at Colts home games, often sitting in his suite at Lucas Oil Stadium.
During an appearance on “GameDay Morning” before the Colts' 24-6 loss to the Lions last Sunday, he said: McAfee joked He said that a battle with the players is “building up.”
Franklin called a truce with McAfee after the Colts lost four of their past five games, including Sunday's setback that dropped them to 5-7.
Last week, Franklin and Colts linebacker EJ Speed took issue with media criticism of Richardson's request to sit out for one play in a divisional game at Houston in Week 8, citing fatigue. The Texans defeated the Colts 23-20.
Richardson then sat on the bench for two games in favor of veteran Joe Flacco, but his inconsistent play was the biggest factor in the decision.
Although Franklin and Speed did not mention McAfee by name, they used his image to promote an episode titled “Zaire and EJ Applaud the Media.”
McAfee is publicly critical Richardson and the Colts are covered in the media. social media.
McAfee first lobbied to put him on the bench, then said the Colts should go back to Richardson after a losing streak with Joe Flacco at the helm.
The Colts will face the Patriots (3-9) on Sunday at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro.
