Club Shay Shay: Club 520 – Zaire Franklin on Drew Brees COOKING Colts, Andrew Luck Retirement

Episode Release: September 1, 2025
Host: D.J. Wells (with Joe and others)
Guest/NFL Analyst: Zaire Franklin (Indianapolis Colts Pro Bowler, leading tackler)
Podcast: Club 520 (Club Shay Shay feed w/ Shay Shay Media, iHeartPodcasts)

Episode Overview

In this lively episode of Club 520, D.J. Wells, Joe, and crew welcome Colts linebacker Zaire Franklin as the show’s official NFL analyst. The conversation covers Franklin’s rise in the league, locker room dynamics, “pie beef,” therapy, Pro Bowl experiences, classic NFL debates, infamous games like Drew Brees’ record-setting night against the Colts, the impact of Andrew Luck's sudden retirement, and deep dives into football’s upper echelon of talent.

The episode’s tone is candid, comedic, and at times introspective—reflecting on success, disappointment, locker room culture, and pure love for the game.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Zaire Franklin Joins the Club as NFL Analyst

• Zaire is introduced as a new official voice for football content on Club 520:

  “Our new NFL analyst for 5:20 in the morning. Pro Bowler, leading the league in tackles, Mr. Z Franklin. Big dog.” (04:09)

• Zaire confirms striving for another tackles title, showing ongoing ambition and humor.

• Plenty of inside jokes about fitting into the Club 520 family—“no guest, just gang.”

2. Post-Game Moods and Locker Room Culture

• Zaire describes his frustration and shut-off mode after a loss, emphasizing how much each game matters:

  “For real, bro...I just be mad the whole time...I gotta go home and I gotta watch the game...I can’t do nothing until at least I watch the game. Then after you watch it, I’m probably cussing out in my head five times.” (08:18)

• Discussion of African players in the locker room, and discrimination or lack of acknowledgment from “NFL Africa”:

  “I don’t really fuck with NFL Africa anyway, though…I make a lot of plays, they’ll never post me. So I think that’s a little crazy.” (05:41)

• Debates on handling rumors, internal beef, and the exaggeration of stories among teammates and friends:

  “Joe’s a liar. First of all. He’s a liar. First of all. Y'all gotta stop when you talk to Joe. Understand? Joe got the same three stories. And he gonna lie every time he tell it” (06:20)

3. Therapy, Management of Aggression, and Growth

• Reflecting on growth as a pro, Franklin discusses going to therapy and learning to manage on-field and personal intensity:

  “I’m working on me. I’ve been going to therapy...A couple voicemails late night recommended me to therapy though.” (11:13)

• Stories about nearly fighting James Conner in college and in joint practice bring out the realness of NFL intensity:

  “He grabbed me and he tried to dump me. But me being me, I grabbed him and we doing this and I slammed him and I slammed him on his back…He getting mad, he get up, get back on the line. After you challenge me again, there is no pass rush move, we about to do this one on one.” (15:03–16:29)

4. Achievements, Fame, and the Pro Bowl

• Zaire is candid about his Pro Bowl selection feeling both “lit” and “unfulfilling”:

  “Unfulfilling, bro. I hate to say it is, bro. Like that sound crazy. You work your whole life…But it is fulfilling though…But just like everything else, you just got new goals and we gotta win, bro.” (17:20–18:43)

• Celebration rituals: Waited for contract extension before splurging on himself, jokes about watches and team fashion.

• Stories about blending in, taking fashion advice, learning to “stay in his lane” style-wise.

5. Rivalries, Game Day Mindset, and Trash Talk

• Houston Texans rivalry and personal in-game trash talk:

  “They do. Houston…I'm the number one OP over there…Like, if I’m saying that to a camera that I edit, imagine what I’m telling them to their face.” (09:38–10:04)

• Franklin is self-aware about his reputation as a “crash out” (unafraid to go hard), both in-game and on-air.

6. Fan Reactions, Respect in the League

• Fans across the country show major love; teammates and opponents show newfound respect since his ascension:

  “The fans that I done ran into, they the ones that kept me sane, bro…When we playing somebody, like, they gonna come and holla at you…Rather than like, oh no, no, you one of them.” (32:39–34:04)

7. Career Defining Moments & Memorable Games

• Realization point as an NFL starter (covering Travis Kelce one-on-one):

  “Next week we played Kansas City at home…had one play where I locked up Kelsey one-on-one…I told him, I said, damn, I don’t know I might be bored, gang. I ain’t gonna hold you.” (34:29)

• The infamous Drew Brees Monday Night Football “cooking” of the Colts:

  “Bro, I remember we pulled up, Ty gave this crazy ass speech…They whooped our ass so bad. Nah, that was the worst ass with us, bro…Drew Breez went, like, 26 for 26. He set, like, completion percentage.” (38:00–39:47)

• NFL’s Monday Night and Sunday Night Football energy, anticipation for a matchup versus Christian McCaffrey (San Francisco): (35:52–36:16)

8. The Andrew Luck Saga

• Zaire on Andrew Luck’s sudden retirement and its ripple effect through the team and city:

  “Link was in the locker room crying. I feel like I was in the middle of a movie, bro...They need to let my man live his life in peace.” (40:23)

• Reflections on the “what if” of Luck’s career:

  “That 2019 team, if Luck would have played…we going to super bowl, bro…It was set up for him.” (41:31)

• Host and crew contrast Luck’s departure with Peyton Manning’s legacy and city reactions.

  “We wasn’t really that sad. We were still mad about Peyton, bro.” (41:27)

9. NFL Debates: QBs & All-Time Talent

• Dak Prescott vs. Brock Purdy and how team success reframes player evaluations. (36:32–37:03)

• Franklin defends Dak and the Cowboys as “underrated.”

• Extended debate:

  • Who are the most talented QBs ever, separating accolades from skill sets? (Aaron Rodgers, Peyton, Brady)

  • Franklin:

    “Peyton Manning was the greatest quarterback” (58:33)
    “Aaron Rodgers was more athletic than Peyton Manning and he threw a better ball.” (58:34)

  • Host:

    “Aaron Rodgers was a better player than Tom Brady and Peyton Manning…that dude was cold, bro.” (59:12)

  • Joe:

    “Tom Brady threw 50 touchdowns in a year.” (59:30)

• Discussion of Tom Brady’s “wobbly ball” and peak skill sets vs. achievements—playful but passionate.

• On Hall-of-Fame “upper room” of all-time greats (67:01+):
  Franklin lists:

  • Tom Brady
  • Deion Sanders
  • Peyton Manning
  • Aaron Donald
  • Lawrence Taylor
  • Jerry Rice, Emmitt Smith, Randy Moss, Tony Gonzalez, Travis Kelce, Mahomes (potentially)

10. Pay, Contracts, and League Economics

• On Micah Parsons' contract:

  “Somebody like Micah walk into a negotiation. It starts with, okay, who’s the highest paid non quarterback? Okay, cool. I’m right above that. There’s actually nothing else to talk about.” (56:49)

• On highest-paid discussions, team value, and positional worth (57:00–57:32)
• NFL vs. NBA money, dialogue about recent big contracts (Kyle Hamilton, etc.)

11. Lighthearted Segments & Food

• Running food debates: best date night restaurants, $50-plate discourse, the merits of wedge salads and oysters, and favorite spots in Indy.
• Amusing talk on “raw dog in the Levi’s,” locker room quirks, body powder, and weigh-in rituals. (47:44+)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Week-After-Loss Rituals:
  “I just be mad the whole time. I can’t do nothing until I watch the game.” – Z. Franklin (08:18)
• On Therapy and Growth:
  “I’ve been going to therapy...A couple voicemails late night recommended me to therapy though.” – Z. Franklin (11:13)
• On Drew Brees Cooking Colts:
  “Drew Breez went like 26 for 26. He set like completion percentage…Monday night completion percentage record. Clearly he was perfect.” – Z. Franklin (39:13)
• On Andrew Luck’s Retirement:
  “Link was in the locker room crying. I feel like I was in the middle of a movie, bro…Let my man live his life in peace.” – Z. Franklin (40:23)
• On NFL “Upper Room”:
  “Prom is in that conversation. Like when we talk about Prom, it’s like, all right, it's a Hall of Fame. And then…it’s an upper room. Like Prom in that up upper room.” – Z. Franklin (67:10)
• On All-Time Quarterback Skill:
  “Aaron Rodgers was more athletic than Peyton Manning and he threw a better ball.” – Host (58:34)

Timestamps for Major Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |--------------------------------|------------| | Franklin joins as analyst | 04:09 | | Locker room/therapy/growth | 08:18-11:13| | Pro Bowl reflections | 17:20 | | Rivalry & trash talk | 09:38-10:04| | Fan respect & league status | 32:39-34:04| | Dream games (Brees cooks Colts)| 38:00-39:47| | Andrew Luck’s retirement | 40:23-41:49| | All-time QB/GOAT debates | 58:06-61:18| | “Upper Room” of NFL greats | 67:01+ |

Final Take: Zaire Franklin’s New Role & What’s Next

Franklin wraps up highlighting what listeners can expect as he joins Five20 as a weekly NFL analyst:

“Definitely just bringing that NFL analysis, obviously as a current player, somebody who win it, obviously, the stories...from contract disputes, what that’s like to, you know, different little funny…going on on the field…giving shout out to the guys that’s putting on and making plays too.” (74:37)

The pod closes with a preview of their upcoming live tour, Franklin’s plans as an NFL mind on-air, and a promise of more candid, funny, and insightful football talk.

For fans and newcomers alike, this episode offers a rare, entertaining peek behind the gridiron—equal parts locker room, barbershop, and highlight reel.