Troy Franklin made his presence felt in the Denver Broncos’ win over the Arizona Cardinals, scoring two touchdowns and flashing the potential he’s been building over the past two seasons.
The former Oregon Duck looks like he’s starting to find his stride and push for a bigger role this season. As a rookie, Franklin didn’t get much action, putting up 23 catches for 263 yards and two scores. But Saturday night felt different — the kind of performance that hints he might be ready to take the next step.
Head coach Sean Payton noticed too, and he didn’t hold back when talking about Franklin after the game.
“Yes, it’s happening, and I’m excited,” Payton said. “I think we just have to be smart because he’s playing two spots, but he’s having a really good camp. He’s confident. I’ve said this a bunch of times — it has to happen on the field.”
For now, Franklin is buried on the depth chart behind Courtland Sutton, Marvin Mims Jr., Devaughn Vele, and rookie Pat Bryant. But Payton knows performances like the one against Arizona can change the outlook quickly.
“Some players begin to make some plays, and it carries over,” Payton said. “That’s why these games are important. Obviously, it’s challenging when you’re not going to play your starting group, but when you see growth like that, it stands out. Every year, we don’t know who those players are going to be — but he played well tonight.”
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Franklin was a fourth-round pick in last year’s draft after a breakout junior season at Oregon, where he caught 81 passes for 1,383 yards and led the Pac-12 with 14 touchdowns from Bo Nix. Now, he’s reunited with Nix in Denver, giving the Broncos a familiar connection to lean on.
Before Oregon, Franklin made a name for himself at Menlo-Atherton High, earning recognition as one of the top recruits in the 2021 class — ranked as a top-three wide receiver and a top-60 overall prospect by 247Sports. Since then, he’s continued to back up the hype and now looks set to make the Broncos’ 53-man roster for the second year in a row.
Franklin has managed to stand out at every step of his career. With Payton’s backing and a strong preseason performance, he’s giving himself a real shot at carving out more playing time this season.