Feleipe Franks is eager for his comeback season, to rejoin the "culture" here

Mar 25, 2026 at 02:03 PM

Darin Gantt

CHARLOTTE — The new guy who was on another team last year walks down the hall and sees director of performance nutrition Kate Callaway coming his way.

But instead of stepping to the side to make way for another in a parade of new faces, or asking for directions to the cafeteria or the locker room, he yells "KAAAAAAATTTTE" and goes in for a hug.

Feleipe Franks doesn't need a guided tour of the workplace, or introductions. And just like the nutrition staff and all the former teammates and coaches, they're all glad to see him back.

The Panthers re-signed the veteran tight end, special teams agitator, and former Panthers all of the above to another one-year deal this week, bringing him back to a place he loved in 2024.

He spent last year in the place he spent his first three in the league, Atlanta, so this guy knows his way up and down I-85. And the same warm feeling you get when you see the Gaffney Peach on the left as you drive north is coming over him now, as he walks back into Bank of America Stadium.

"Coming to Carolina was a great opportunity for me, and then going back and forth, I was just telling the guys that it's been a real breath of fresh air, and I've never been more excited to get back to Carolina," Franks said. "Just because the vibe, man. The people, the culture, you gravitate towards those things, especially me, so I gravitated towards it.

"I loved it here, and I was excited to come back here."

The Carolina Panthers sign Feleipe Franks on Tuesday, Mar. 24, 2026 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC.

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And they love having him.

The former University of Florida quarterback transitioned to tight end in the NFL, but he transitioned into an elite special teams player over the years, and stood out there in 2024. And last season, when he went back to the Falcons, he brought that same intensity to games against his old friends, because everything Feleipe Franks does is done with intensity.

"When he's your teammate, you love him, when he's your opponent, he's a nuisance," said veteran safety Nick Scott. "But the energy that he brings to our locker room that he brought in 2024, and just what we're expecting from him this year. It's like it's going to be a huge boost not only to a special teams unit that was already pretty damn good, he's just going to add his brand and his feel to it, which is high energy, high competition, a whole lot of passion and excitement.

"So we're fired up that he's back. We're expecting great things out of him."

Scott's usually one of those core special teamers — last year when Franks was away, he was a full-season starter on defense and responded with a career-high 109 tackles — so he's seen up close what it's like running alongside Franks, and trying to block him.

Thomas Incoom, Feleipe Franks, Daren Bates

And having guys with that passion for the kicking game isn't something you always take for granted. But Franks' eyes light up when he talks about being back with guys like Scott, Thomas Incoom, and the rest of the regulars (many of whom are back this season), because he loved getting after it against them last year.

"It was fun; I wouldn't even call it an adjustment," Franks said. "Because you built the relationship with these guys obviously throughout the whole year when I was here in Carolina, and so it's just healthy competition. I mess with Incoom all the time, like me and him are going back and forth at it, but we competed like that when I was here in Carolina, and we always wanted what was best, so it was actually really fun to like compete with him and against him, and so we did that and it's cool to be back with him.

"It's awesome, man. TI, he's one of my favorite dudes, but it's cool when you get around people who want to be successful so bad. Overachievers don't like being in a room with underachievers. You always want to be around people who are pushing you to be the best you can be. And Incoom is one of those dudes. A lot of the people around here are those people. And that's awesome because he's always pushing me to be better and better."

Felipe Franks is a loss for the Panthers, I'll never forget when buddy made the most of his screen time 😂 pic.twitter.com/jrgMv3jqwj
— 【 ♭Լᴀn𝒅ᴇ 】 (@JustBlande) March 21, 2025

Adding Franks back to that special teams room is just part of the reason he's back.

He joked that he saw tight end Mitchell Evans replace Bryce Young under center and run a sneak last year, so the 6-foot-6, 228-pound former quarterback was quick to volunteer for that duty as well.

But he's learned over the years in the NFL that special teams is where he can make his mark, and that's the main reason he's in demand.

"There are guys who come out of college and aren't used to playing special teams who don't know how to adapt to it," Franks said. "But I think the people who really take to it, you can see that difference, and you have to embrace it. You have to just embrace your role, and I love my role, and I'll die on that hill.

"I love playing special teams. I love the intensity that you have to play with, within that phase of the game. And so, it's kind of who I feel like I am as a person."

That infectious energy is evident with every greeting he exchanges. There were a lot of hugs and big smiles when he came through earlier this week to sign. People are genuinely glad to have him back.

And after being a part of the team that came off two wins and built to five in head coach Dave Canales and general manager Dan Morgan's first season, and seeing the team that built to eight (including a pair of wins over the Falcons), Franks is excited to see what's next, and to be a part of it.

"First, you can tell what coach Dave is building, and I talk about culture, it's just like the culture he's built here," Franks said. "And you can see that, you can see it, I was talking to some of the guys in the training room. You can see how many guys are here working out in the offseason. You can see it, and how people are talking and walking in the building. You see it, especially firsthand, that's the difference.

"That's the difference, I gravitate towards culture, and a good culture is always a good recipe for success. So Dave and Dan gave me an opportunity to come back, and I couldn't pass it up. I was like, I'll be there in a heartbeat."

PHOTOS: Carolina Panthers Players, Top Cats and Staff Visit US Army Base, Fort Jackson, in Columbia, SC

In partnership with USAA, several Carolina Panthers players along with Panthers Top Cats and staff were hosted at Fort Jackson, which is the US Army's largest base for basic combat training. The players, Top Cats and staff participated in training exercises and team building activities. The day was capped off with players, Top Cats and Sir Purr signing autographs and taking photos with military personnel and their families.

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Carolina Panthers players Thomas Incoom, Claudin Cherelus, Jake Curhan, Nick Samac, Jalen Coker and Saahdiq Charles, members of TopCats and Sir Purr visit the U.S. Army Training Center and Fort Jackson in partnership with USAA on Friday, Feb. 20, 2026 in Columbia, SC.