October 23, 2026 - 11:04 am

NEW YORK — Buffalo Bills defensive back Sam Franklin has successfully appealed his one-game suspension for what the NFL said was an act of spitting at an opponent on Sunday.

The league announced Friday that hearing officer James Thrash reduced the punishment to a fine of $14,926 for unsportsmanlike conduct. That makes Franklin eligible to play in Buffalo’s next game on Nov. 1 against Baltimore, following the Bills’ bye week.

Agent Harold Lewis adamantly denied that Franklin spit on anyone.

Teammate C.J. Gardner-Johnson had his one-game spitting suspension upheld Thursday after appealing it.

Franklin earlier this week denied the spitting allegation in a message posted on his Instagram account, saying he’s “not a dirty player.”

He said he was defending himself without resorting to spitting at anyone.…