3 winners (and 2 losers) from Carolina Panthers 2024 training camp Week 2
By Dean Jones
Loser No. 1
Sam Franklin Jr. - Carolina Panthers S
The NFL is a cruel business. Fortunes can change in the blink of an eye for good or bad. That proved was the case for safety and standout special teams ace Sam Franklin Jr.
Franklin was a bundle of energy during practices. He left a tremendous impact on head coach Dave Canales and was looking to become more influential on the defensive rotation in 2024. This was incredibly positive for the undrafted free agent out of Temple, but the defensive back suffered some terrible luck at the worst possible time.
The player suffered a broken foot that could leave him on the shelf for several months. Canales revealed that there's hope he can get back later in the season, but nobody knows for sure right now.
Nobody will be striving harder than Franklin to return. His boundless enthusiasm and ability to keep everyone's spirits high will be missed. Looking at how glowingly Canales spoke about the player only adds disappointment to his predicament. The former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator even called him irreplaceable based on comments via the team's website.
"That's a huge hit for us. He's a fantastic spirited guy, really the leader of the special teams unit and as someone that we're really going to count on. So, we've got to make sure we hit this rehab the right way, and Sam will come back to us at the right time. You can't replace Sam Franklin, but this is a great opportunity for guys to step up But, Sam certainly is a special player, not just from an ability standpoint and the impact he makes, but also just his juice, his personality, he's one of my guys. It's like every day, it's just this great opportunity, and he loves being out there. He loves playing ball, so, a big loss there."
- Dave Canales via Panthers.com
Franklin left a lasting impression on Canales, which indicates he'll be involved when he's fully recovered. That doesn't detract from the sizable blow suffered to the player in a contract year, but it's comforting nonetheless.
He'll tackle the setback with his customary determination and hope to get back sooner rather than later. Until then, the Panthers will be expecting the likes of Alex Cook and Jammie Robinson to stake their claim.