Report: Broncos Sign Former Panthers Defender

The Denver Broncos made a roster move in the waning stages of free agency on Tuesday, signing former Carolina Panthers safety Sam Franklin to a one-year contract, The 33rd Team's Ari Meirov reported.

The transaction was confirmed by The Denver Post's Luca Evans, who added that Franklin's deal is worth up to $1.5 million for the upcoming campaign.

Undrafted in 2020, Franklin appeared in 74 games for the Panthers across the last five seasons. He's totaled 105 career tackles and one interception (a 99-yard pick-six) while playing the majority (1,327) of his career snaps (2,109) on special teams. The Florida native had a stint on injured reserve in 2024 due to a broken foot.

Franklin (6-3, 210) was a four-year contributor at Temple where he began as an outside linebacker before shifting to the defensive backfield. He finished with 194 tackles (24 tackles for loss), eight sacks, eight pass breakups, three fumble recoveries, two interceptions, and two touchdowns during his time with the Owls.

"He's impossible to miss," former Panthers punter Johnny Hekker said last October. "Sam is a presence. I'm so happy to have him back; he makes an impact. He brings that energy. It shows up everywhere. The world gets to see it on Sundays, but really, his attentiveness in meetings, he's not afraid to speak up. If something's not up to par, he'll call things out of the meeting, he'll make verbal checks. We see him at his seat; he does a good job of being a vocal leader. When he's on the practice field, he's doing the same thing. He's encouraging guys to communicate, talking a little bit of trash to up the stakes a little bit and just raise a sense of urgency."

Franklin is the seventh outside free agent signed by Denver this offseason. He joins a positional group led by starters Brandon Jones and prized pickup Talanoa Hufanga and — if he sticks around long enough — could compete with the likes of P.J. Locke, Delarrin Turner-Yell, Devon Key, and JL Skinner for reserve/special teams reps.