Bills' Sam Franklin Limited With Shoulder Injury
Buffalo lists the safety as limited in practice while acquiring Amani Hooker from the Titans ahead of Sunday's game against the Jets.
Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in Football
The Buffalo Bills listed safety Sam Franklin as a limited participant in Tuesday's practice with an injured shoulder, though he was a full participant Wednesday. The team also acquired safety Amani Hooker from the Tennessee Titans in exchange for a second-round pick and received a fifth-round pick in return.
Why it matters
Franklin has been a key contributor on special teams, playing in 78% of the Bills' special teams snaps this year, so his health affects the unit's depth. Hooker's arrival adds a proven starter to the defensive backfield before the Bills face the Jets.
Franklin has played in 78% of the Bills' special teams snaps this year but has appeared in just one defensive snap. The Bills traded a second-round pick for Hooker and received a fifth-round pick back, though the severity of Franklin's injury remains undisclosed.
The players
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team in the National Football League that plays its home games in the Buffalo, New York area.
Amani Hooker
Amani Hooker is a professional safety who was traded from the Tennessee Titans to the Buffalo Bills before the NFL trade deadline.
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team in the National Football League based in Nashville, Tennessee.
The details
The Bills listed five other players as limited on the injury report, including Spencer Brown, Christian Benford, Dalton Kincaid, Alec Anderson, Dion Dawkins, and Connor McGovern, and Brown did not practice Thursday. Hooker is expected to start at safety, and he said he will be ready to play Sunday against the Jets, while the team cut safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson after his one-game suspension ended.
Timeline
Tuesday: Franklin listed as a limited participant with an injured shoulder, and the Hooker trade was completed before the NFL trade deadline.
Wednesday: Franklin was a full participant in practice.
Thursday: Spencer Brown did not practice.
Friday: The Bills will list their game designation for the Jets after practice.
Sunday: The Bills play the New York Jets.
Season Trajectory
The Bills' pre-deadline move for Hooker reflects the familiar pattern of contenders using the NFL trade deadline to reinforce depleted secondaries before the final stretch of the regular season. Adding a starting-caliber safety while Franklin's shoulder is evaluated keeps Buffalo's defensive depth intact in a tight stretch of the schedule.
Fantasy managers should watch Friday's practice report to see whether Franklin is cleared, since his special teams role is his main value. Hooker's expected starting role makes him the more relevant addition for defensive depth charts this week.
The takeaway
Injury designations and roster moves made before a game often shape the final lineup more than the trade headlines do, so track the Friday practice report before Sunday's kickoff against the Jets.
What happens next
The Bills will release their game-day designation for Franklin and the other limited players after Friday's practice, ahead of Sunday's game against the Jets.
Further reading
For more on the team's roster moves and schedule, see Football coverage on Wisevoter.
