SF #28

Sam Franklin Jr.

Safety · Temple

Undrafted special-teams standout who once posted the most special-teams tackles by a Panther in a decade.

Sam Franklin Jr. built a seven-year NFL career the hard way, going undrafted out of Temple and carving out a role through relentless special-teams play. After stops in Carolina and Denver, he landed on Buffalo's roster in 2025, bringing a reputation as one of the league's more disruptive coverage-unit players.

★ Team-high 13 special-teams tackles for Panthers in 2022, most by a Carolina player since 2012

★ 99-yard interception return for a touchdown vs. Minnesota (Oct. 2023)

★ 194 career tackles at Temple across 53 games

Path to the league

Franklin played four seasons at Temple, moving between safety and linebacker, and finished his college career with 194 tackles, eight sacks and two interceptions in 53 games. He signed with the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent in 2020.

Career highlights

Franklin spent his first five NFL seasons in Carolina, becoming known as one of the league's top special-teams contributors. In 2022 he played all 17 games and posted a team-high 13 special-teams tackles, the most by a Panthers player since 2012, and in October 2023 he returned an interception 99 yards for a touchdown against the Vikings.

2025 season recap

Franklin signed a one-year deal with the Denver Broncos in free agency but was released before the regular season in final roster cuts. He caught on with the Buffalo Bills' practice squad on August 27, 2025, and was promoted to the active roster on September 4.