Feleipe Franks may have left behind the quarterback spotlight years ago, but the former SEC signal-caller is still finding ways to get noticed in the NFL.
Franks made his 54th regular-season appearance on Sunday, and this time the attention came from special teams. The NFL’s official account highlighted a couple of his hard hits in Week 1, a reminder that the former Florida and Arkansas quarterback has built a very different pro career than the one many college fans once expected.
Former QB Feleipe Franks wasn't messing around on special teams 😳 @Panthers pic.twitter.com/mDLh9DRsZR
- NFL (@NFL) September 14, 2026
A few years back, Franks made the move from quarterback to tight end, and he’s also become a contributor on special teams. That shift has kept him in the league and in the mix for a role with the Carolina Panthers, where he is back for a second stint.
The sight of Franks throwing his weight around also drew a reaction from former Florida running back La’Mical Perine, who took amusement in seeing Franks and fellow ex-Gator linebacker Jeremiah Moon delivering the hits in coverage. All three were part of Florida’s 2016 signing class under Jim McElwain.
That’s moon and franks them gator boys don’t play 😂😂😂
- La’Mical Perine (@LP_deucedeuce) September 14, 2026
Franks’ path has been a winding one since college. He arrived at Florida as the No. 5 pro-style quarterback in his recruiting class and spent his first four college seasons there from 2016-19 before finishing his final year at Arkansas in 2020.
After going undrafted in 2021, Franks signed with the Atlanta Falcons and played quarterback for two seasons. He missed the entire 2023 season because of injury, then returned in 2024 with Carolina as a tight end. The Falcons later brought him back in 2025 in that same role, and he opened the 2026 season with the Panthers again.
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