Buffalo Rumblings
Every team needs role players. The Buffalo Bills aren’t exempt from this. Whether we’re talking about pee-wee football or the NFL, there are players who are going to have the “glamour roles,” and there are those who are going to do the dirty work. When you’re eight years old, nobody wants to be on the offensive line; instead, they want to be the person carrying the ball. But, somebody has to do the little things in order for the team to succeed.
With back-end-of-the-roster types, we often discuss special teams as a way to stand out and make a team. Covering kicks and blocking on punt returns isn’t most people’s dream job, but for some players, it’s the way they make a living in the NFL. Everybody wants the glamour roles, but somebody has to do the dirty work.
In today’s edition of “91 players in 91 days,” we talk about an unsung hero on Buffalo’s roster, someone whose role certainly isn’t glamorous, but he excels in it with zero complaint.
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Name: Sam Franklin Jr.
Number: 28
Position: DB
Height/Weight: 6’3” 210 lbs.
Age: 30 (31 on 2/2/2027)
Experience/Draft: 7; signed with the Carolina Panthers following the 2020 NFL Draft
College: Temple
Acquired: Signed with Bills’ practice squad on 8/27/2025
Financial situation (per Spotrac): Franklin Jr. signed a three-year contract worth $7 million this offseason. For the 2026 season, his cap hit is $1,916,667 if he makes the 53-man roster. The total amount of guaranteed money on the deal is $4.2 million. Spotrac has his dead cap number at $1.28 million if he’s released prior to the start of the season.
2025 Recap: Franklin Jr. spent last offseason with the Denver Broncos, leaving the only NFL home he’d known in Carolina. However, Denver released him on August 26 as part of final cut-downs, and he signed with Buffalo’s practice squad the following day. On September 4, Buffalo signed Franklin Jr. to the active roster. He replaced defensive tackle DeWayne Carter on the active roster; Carter tore his Achilles tendon and missed the 2025 season as a result. Franklin Jr. played just six snaps on defense, but he was a mainstay on special teams. He played 329 snaps in the game’s third phase, trailing only linebacker Joe Andreessen and fullback Reggie Gilliam in special teams snaps logged. Franklin had 13 tackles. In the postseason, Franklin Jr. had one special teams tackle in two games.
Positional outlook: Franklin Jr. is listed as a defensive back, joining Te’Cory Couch, Kani Walker, and Jordan Hancock as players with that designation; however, Franklin Jr. is really a safety-in-name-only, as he is a special teams gunner and kick coverage player first. The other safeties on the roster are C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Cole Bishop, Geno Stone, Damar Hamlin, Jalen Kilgore, and Wande Owens.
2026 Offseason: Franklin Jr. is healthy and participating in offseason workouts.
2026 Season outlook: Franklin Jr.’s contract essentially guarantees that he’ll be on the team this year, and his role as special teams coverage...
