Former Oregon Ducks and current Denver Broncos wide receiver Troy Franklin caught his first NFL touchdown pass from quarterback Bo Nix. The former Ducks duo was facing fellow Oregon Duck and current Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert. The Chargers beat the Broncos 23-16.
Down 23-0 in the fourth quarter, Nix and Franklin connected over the middle for a two-yard touchdown. After the game, Nix spoke with reporters about his connection with Franklin.
"We've been practicing that play this week, and he was there for me and he got open, he made the catch," said Nix. "I thought that was perfect and really excited, you know, about that. That was a great connection. And, you know, I thought it was unique: We had an Oregon player snap it, Oregon player throw it, and an Oregon player catch it. So I don't know if that's ever happened in the NFL. Probably has as long as the NFL has been going, but I think it's pretty cool."
Denver Broncos' starting center is former Duck Alex Forsyth who played at Oregon from 2018 to 2022. Forsyth is in his second year in the NFL, and he has played in five games for the Broncos this season.
Reporters asked Nix about the growth he's seen from Franklin and fellow rookie wide receiver Devaugh Vele, and Nix revealed the excitement that Denver has for its rookie pass catchers.
"We're excited about those two. They've had great camps. They've had great seasons. They've practiced hard. They're very smart players. They showed up today, played big in an important moment. There's no flinch in their faces. There's no bat in their eyes. They're really competitive players, smart players. I'm excited to see their growth as they continue to move forward. Those two we're going to have to count on, and we need moving forward," said Nix.
In the Chargers' win, Herbert completed 21 of his 34 passes for 237 yards. Herbert's lone touchdown pass was thrown to rookie running back Kimani Vidal. Los Angeles Chargers rookie wide receiver Ladd McConkey led the team with eight targets, emerging as one of Herbert's most reliable targets.
Unfortunately for Herbert and the Chargers, McConkey suffered an apparent head injury against the Broncos.
In Week 7, the former Oregon Ducks will both be playing in prime time games.
Up next for Herbert and Los Angeles is another road game against the Arizona Cardinals on Monday Night Football on Oct. 21. Nix and the Denver Broncos have a short week as they prepare to face the New Orleans Saints on Thursday Night Football.
