Broncos quarterback Bo Nix, who played with Franklin at Oregon, said earlier this offseason that the receiver is more comfortable now that he knows the scheme going into his second season. Nix did not play against the Cardinals, but backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham threw two touchdown passes to Franklin in the win.

Two words did the job just fine, because nobody needed any kind of soliloquy to understand the things Troy Franklin was doing Saturday night.

Calling it a quantum leap might be hyperbolic, but Denver Broncos wide receiver Troy Franklin has taken some big steps in Year 2. A 2024 fourth-round pick out of Oregon, Franklin served as Bo Nix's top target in college, but although they were both drafted by the Broncos in the same class, that chemistry didn't bear much fruit initially.