Bills Predicted to Cut $7M Special Teams Ace After Getting Extension

The Buffalo Bills are predicted to make a surprising move ahead of cutdown day on Sunday.

Buffalo will play its final preseason game on Thursday, and the Bills will have to make some tough roster decisions. Not only is there some competition for backup spots, but special teams will also be key for some players.

However, ahead of cutdown day, Bills analyst Ryan Talbot of NYUP.com predicted the team would cut special teams ace Sam Franklin Jr. in a stunning move.

“The toughest decision on the roster came down to whether or not to keep Ben VanSumeren. VanSumeren ended up taking the final roster spot over Keonta Jenkins and Sam Franklin Jr. All three can contribute on special teams, but only VanSumeren can play on offense if the team is looking to utilize a fullback in specific matchups,” Talbot wrote.

Although Talbot has the Bills cutting Franklin, he does expect Buffalo to land the veteran on the practice squad.

“Franklin Jr. is only a special teams player at this point in his career, but he’s really good in that role. He’s worth a veteran spot just for that alone,” Talbot added.

The Bills cutting Franklin would be a major surprise as the team signed him to a three-year, $7 million deal with $4.2 million guaranteed. Yet, Talbot believes the team will still part ways with him and try to bring him back on the practice squad.

Although Franklin is listed as a safety, he’s mostly a special teams player and has become one of the best special teams players.

Franklin recorded 13 tackles over his first season with the Bills. He originally signed to Buffalo’s practice squad on Aug. 27, 2025, and was elevated to the active roster on Sept. 4, 2025.

The special teams ace originally signed with the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent in 2020 and was there until 2024, when he signed with the Denver Broncos.

Although Franklin can play in the secondary if needed, he’s more of a special teams player, but he’s an important one in that role. So, he will likely have a role on the Bills team if they do want a key special teams player.

The Bills will play their final preseason game on Thursday.

Ahead of the final preseason game, Bills head coach Joe Brady said Josh Allen won’t play.

“Josh will not be playing Thursday,” Brady said. “I love how he’s spinning it, playing football right now. He’s the leader of our football team. He’ll be right there with me; hopefully I’ll let him call some plays on Thursday. He wants it all the time. Josh is in a really good place.”

However, Brady did say some starters will play in the final preseason game to get more reps.

“There will be some guys that are starters who are gonna be playing in the game,” Brady said. “Who that is, that is going to be something we are going to talk about after today’s practice.”

Buffalo will open its season on Sept. 13 against the Houston Texans.

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