Sam Franklin Jr.

No. 28 · 7th season

Nobody saw Sam Franklin Jr. coming — until Monday's practice

The first-team reps went to someone most people weren't watching.

Sam Franklin Jr. is a safety for the Buffalo Bills, the kind of player whose name tends to stay in the background while the bigger names absorb the attention. That's what made Monday's practice worth noticing: when C.J. Gardner-Johnson went down with an injury, the reps didn't go where most people expected. They went to Franklin Jr.

Observers at practice called it a surprise. That word carries weight — it means the people who pay close attention to this team weren't seeing it coming either.

For a player on the edge of the spotlight, first-team reps in practice are the first real signal. It's how a name starts mattering. Gardner-Johnson's absence opened a door; Franklin Jr. walked through it in front of everyone.

Content sourced from publicly available information. Gripd is an independent fan platform not affiliated with the NFL or any team.

Sam Franklin Jr.

Nobody saw Sam Franklin Jr. coming — until Monday's practice

Three years in, Zay Flowers has made his case

First pads on, and Reese already has someone's attention

The coach is giving Gabriel more reps, and that means something