Sam Franklin Jr.
Introduction
Sam Franklin Jr. is a 30-year-old Buffalo Bills safety and special-teams captain whom the NFL suspended for one game without pay on October 21, 2026 for an act of unsportsmanlike conduct: the league said he spat at a Las Vegas Raiders opponent late in Buffalo’s 33-30 Week 6 win, making him the second Bills player suspended for spitting in that same game. Franklin denied spitting at anyone, said he was defending himself after being struck below the waist, and appealed immediately β and on October 23 he won: hearing officer James Thrash overturned the suspension, reducing the discipline to a $14,926 fine and clearing Franklin to play right away.
Background Information
Samuel Lamar Franklin Jr. was born February 2, 1996, in Inverness, Florida, played college football at Temple, and entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Carolina Panthers in 2020, spending five seasons with the team before stops in Denver and Buffalo. He is a special teams ace for the Bills, where he serves as a defensive back behind a 5-1 start. The discipline put him in the same league docket as his own teammate: starting safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who was suspended one game for spitting at Raiders tight end Brock Bowers in the first half of the same October 18 game.
The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation
Allegations. The spitting claim in this section was the NFL’s own determination, announced without video evidence. It was never admitted by Franklin, never criminally charged, and never adjudicated in court. Franklin denied it outright, said he was defending himself after being struck below the waist β and the appeal succeeded: the suspension was overturned on review, with the reduced discipline reportedly for shoving, not spitting.
With 1:32 remaining in the fourth quarter of the Bills’ Week 6 win over the Raiders, just after a successful Las Vegas extra point, the NFL says Franklin spat at Raiders right tackle DJ Glaze. “Franklin Jr. spit at an opponent, violating Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1, which applies to ‘any act which is contrary to the generally understood principles of sportsmanship,’” the league’s statement read. Unlike his teammate’s ejection, Franklin was not penalized at all on the field.
The league disciplined him “without providing details or video evidence,” per the Associated Press. The video that does exist cuts the other way: a clip posted by an NFL Network reporter shows Glaze blocking Bills linebacker Michael Hoecht while pulling Franklin’s undershirt, Franklin shoving Glaze from the side, and Glaze then appearing to shove Franklin’s helmet. A 14-second clip Franklin himself posted shows Glaze appearing to strike him below the waist during the extra point β the play the suspension followed. “It’s not clear whether Franklin spit at anyone,” the AP wrote of the footage. His agent said Franklin was also struck in a similar fashion during a Raiders field-goal attempt earlier in the game.
Public Reaction and Consequences
The suspension was announced while the Bills were on their bye week, and the Post’s tweet carrying it β “Sam Franklin Jr. becomes second Bills player suspended for spitting in same game” β spread the story within minutes. Franklin’s agents, Harold C. Lewis and Christian Addison, answered the same day: “We adamantly deny Sam spit at anyone. We look forward to the process fully exonerating him tomorrow at the hearing and the apology he deserves,” they told NFL insider Tom Pelissero. Franklin also denied the allegation on Instagram, writing that he is “not a dirty player” and that he was defending himself without resorting to spitting.
The contrast with his teammate framed the coverage: Gardner-Johnson was ejected on the spot, apologized to teammates, and told reporters “I’ll take my consequences,” while Franklin remained in the game untouched until the league’s midweek ruling. Bills coach Joe Brady, who earlier in the week said the team would not punish Gardner-Johnson beyond the league’s discipline, was not made available for comment on Franklin’s case with the team off.
After the appeal, Lewis and Addison renewed the denial in stronger terms: “As we said from the start, Sam did not and would never spit at an opponent, and there was no evidence that he did,” they said in a statement, calling the suspension “unfortunate” and arguing the league acted “based on an unsupported accusation that received so much undeserved attention” β while adding they hoped the outcome would “be covered just as widely,” and that the league would “take a serious look at the opposing player’s conduct, including striking Sam in the groin twice during the game.”
Current Status
Franklin’s appeal succeeded. On Friday, October 23, NFL hearing officer James Thrash overturned the one-game suspension and reduced the discipline to a $14,926 fine for unsportsmanlike conduct β a fine NFL.com reported was imposed for shoving an opponent, not for spitting. The league confirmed the reduced punishment, and Franklin is eligible to play immediately, starting with Buffalo’s November 1 home game against Baltimore. His agents said they were “glad the suspension was overturned and grateful to the hearing officer for a fair and thorough review.” The contrast held to the end: teammate C.J. Gardner-Johnson’s one-game suspension for spitting in the same game was upheld on appeal. As the Post put it, “The Bills’ spitting scandal has come to a close.”
Impact on Their Career/Life
The suspension never took effect: instead of missing a game check and his spot for the marquee AFC home game against Baltimore that could shape Buffalo’s playoff seeding, Franklin plays on, at the cost of a $14,926 fine. The reputational stakes resolved in his favor β the spitting finding did not survive review, his agents’ no-evidence position was vindicated at the hearing, and the discipline that stands attaches to shoving rather than the accusation that spread nationwide. The episode’s optics linger for a 5-1 team that carried the league’s only two spitting suspensions of the season from one afternoon β one since upheld, one erased β and the league’s parting signal was the one his agents asked for: the review “fair and thorough,” and the burden of proof back where they said it belonged.
Sources
- New York Post: “Sam Franklin Jr. becomes second Bills player suspended for spitting” source
- NFL.com: “Bills’ Franklin suspended one game” source
- AP News: “Bills’ Franklin appeals NFL’s 1-game suspension, denies he spit at Raiders player” source
- New York Post: “Bills’ Sam Franklin gets spitting suspension overturned, reduced to fine after winning appeal” source
- ESPN: “Bills’ Franklin wins appeal; suspension for spitting overturned” source
- Syracuse.com: “Bills’ Sam Franklin wins appeal, one-game suspension rescinded” source
- Wikipedia: “Sam Franklin Jr.” source
- @nypost on X β the tweet that carried the story, X source