The Denver Broncos, like every other team across the NFL, have been quite busy on Tuesday. That’s because they have been trimming their roster down to the 53-man requirement before the deadline struck at 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday. As a result, there have been several good players that Denver has been forced to move on from.
Roster cuts after training camp are one of the toughest times in the season, as teams have to move on from players they would like to keep in town. For the Broncos, one of those guys was veteran safety Sam Franklin Jr., whom the team signed this offseason with the hope he could emerge as a contributor on both defense and special teams.
Broncos Release Safety Sam Franklin Jr.
Franklin didn’t hear his name called during the 2020 NFL Draft, but he ended up latching on with the Carolina Panthers, and he made their team out of training camp as an undrafted rookie. After initially entering the league as a linebacker, Franklin played in 14 games as a rookie, four of which were starts, racking up 23 tackles, one sack, and one pass deflection.
In 2022, Franklin changed positions and was used more as a safety. However, that didn’t earn him more playing time on defense, as he’s only started five games over the past three seasons. Franklin’s main contributions have come on special teams, as he played 84% of the Panthers’ special teams’ snaps in 2024 for the 10 games he was on the field for.
After hitting the open market this offseason, Franklin latched on with the Broncos, signing a one-year, $1.3 million deal with the team. With this move, Denver was looking for Franklin to be a depth piece at safety, while also helping their special teams’ units the same way he did for Carolina. Instead, he ended up getting released before the start of the 2025 campaign as part of the Broncos’ roster cuts.
“The Broncos are releasing veteran safety and special teamer Sam Franklin Jr., per source,” Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported on Tuesday.
Could Sam Franklin Jr. Return to the Broncos as a Practice Squad Member?
GettyThe Broncos released veteran safety Sam Franklin Jr. as part of their roster cuts
Franklin not making the Broncos’ 53-man roster is a tough blow, as the team’s decision to sign him in free agency indicates that they wanted him to play a role for them in 2025. Instead, he ended up failing to make the cut out of training camp, although he could stick around as a practice squad player if he goes unclaimed on waivers.
Denver obviously has interest in Franklin since they only signed him a couple of months ago, but considering how he’s already 29 years old, the team may be more inclined to stash younger players on their practice squad and work on developing them behind the scenes. For now, Franklin’s time with the Broncos, but with a return via the practice squad being a possibility, his status will have to be monitored over the next day or so.
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