Sam Franklin Jr., the Buffalo Bills’ special teams ace, is staring down a one-game suspension after allegedly spitting at a Las Vegas Raiders player in Week 6. And yeah, it’s not a typo: this is the second Bills defender nailed for the exact same bizarre reason from that game. Are you kidding me?!
Franklin Jr. Denies, Appeals, and the All-22 Footage Has Us Scratching Our Heads
So, the NFL hit Franklin Jr. with the suspension because he supposedly spit towards Raiders blocker DJ Glaze during a fourth-quarter extra-point attempt. But here’s the kicker: WIVB’s Josh Reed reports Franklin Jr. is flat-out denying the allegation and plans to appeal the suspension. WGR 550’s Sal Capaccio even sent out the All-22 footage of the alleged incident showing Franklin, #28 in white, against Raiders RT #71 Glaze. Honestly, after watching those two angles, it’s tough to see how the league definitively “gleaned” any spitting. It makes you wonder what evidence the NFL is actually using beyond just accusations from players. You’d have to assume they have something better than what we’re seeing, because otherwise, this is a seriously shaky call.
Two Players, One Wild Problem, and a Rough Look for Buffalo
This whole situation is straight-up bananas. Not only did Franklin Jr. get popped, but CJ Gardner-Johnson, another Bills defender, was suspended for a spitting incident against the Raiders in the very same Week 6 game! That means Buffalo could be missing *two* key players for their next game against the Ravens on November 1, all because of separate spitting fiascos. I mean, c’mon. This is not a good look for the Bills on the discipline front. The league is obviously cracking down hard, but having two guys miss time for this? Yikes.
What a mess for Buffalo. With the Ravens game looming on November 1, they’ll need to figure out how to fill those holes, especially if Franklin Jr.’s appeal doesn’t pan out. This isn’t just about missing players; it’s about a serious discipline issue the Bills are suddenly facing head-on.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Buffalo Rumblings.
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