Carolina Panthers safety Sam Franklin on Sunday spoke volumes with his insult to a rival Arizona Cardinals player. The volume just so happened to be turned up to the max setting.
Franklin’s Panthers took on the Cardinals on Sunday at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. The teams were tied at 30 with under five minutes left in overtime.
With the Cardinals facing 4th-and-24 at their 8, Arizona was flagged for an ineligible man downfield penalty. Franklin used the stoppage as the perfect opportunity to talk trash to an opposing player.
The Panthers veteran shouted an insult just as he was walking past the referee who was announcing what the flag was for. His insult was caught on the referee’s mic and blasted onto the stadium speakers.
“96, lose some weight, fat a–!” shouted Franklin.
“96 LOSE SOME WEIGHT” over the stadium loudspeakers #Panthers Sam Franklin to 300-pound #Cardinals DT Naquan Jones.
💀💀💀
THIS IS CRAZY.
pic.twitter.com/YxopS2B8vk— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) December 24, 2024
Franklin also got the last laugh. The Cardinals punted on the very next play, which allowed the Panthers to score the game-winning touchdown on the ensuing drive to win 36-30.
Franklin failed to record a single mark on the box score. But his booming insult, which went viral on X, will probably outlast any sack or tackle for a loss he could have had.
After Arizona’s frustrating loss, Cardinals star Trey McBride also made waves on social media for a different reason.
