Steelers’ Asante Samuel Jr. Ready for Immediate Impact After Surgery Fixes Longtime Injury
The Pittsburgh Steelers have officially won the Asante Samuel Jr. sweepstakes, and it became official on Wednesday. He even had his first practice session in an NFL game in over a calendar year. At this point, his goal is to just pick up this defense as fast as possible, so he can see as many snaps as possible in Week 11. He won't need to play every down, but having that ability would be helpful. Kyle Dugger was able to do it right after being acquired via trade, so it's not impossible for the newest Steeler.
In fact, Samuel might be even better than he was during his time with the Los Angeles Chargers. During his first interview in Pittsburgh, he revealed that he got surgery for an issue that he had dealt with since he was drafted in the first place.
"I was playing with [the shoulder issue] for my whole NFL career," Samuel admitted. "It's nothing new. I just had to get it fixed."
Despite playing with in an injury his entire career, Samuel was still a bright spot for a Chargers defense that was constantly hurt and in disarray. He only had one season where he allowed a completion percentage higher than about 62%, and that was his final year in Los Angeles where he only played four games and allowed 12 completions on 18 attempts against him.
Later on, Samuel was asked if this is the best he has felt physically. He gave a very confident answer on that front.
"Oh yeah, for sure," Samuel said. "I feel great. It's the healthiest I have ever been, because I've been dealing with it, and now I got it fixed, so I feel great."
If Samuel was playing with that shoulder issue throughout his entire career, and it's finally gone, there is a real chance that the Steelers see a level of play out of him that not even the Chargers saw. Of course, this is just a one-year deal for Samuel, who is currently on the practice squad. He would need to first be called to the 53-man roster. Not only is he going to play well because of his improved health too, but also the fact that his career is on the line. He needs to show everyone that he can still play cornerback at a very high level, whether it's for the Steelers or for any other potential suitors in free agency. Of course, him staying in Pittsburgh is the hope at this point.
Steelers Could Expect To See Great Defensive Performance Immediately
When the Steelers acquired Dugger prior to Week 9, Head Coach Mike Tomlin was forced to tone down his normally complicated scheme and build the gameplan around being as simple as possible so the new guy could understand. The result of that was the best game that he and Defensive Coordinator Teryl Austin called all season long, and many players expressed their desires to make that the normal thing.
If the Steelers want to get Samuel into the fold as soon as possible, it's fair to expect that Tomlin and Austin do the same thing for his team debut. They keep the calls simple, everyone plays fast, and it will be easier to stop Ja'Marr Chase and not let him rack up 16 catches again. If that is the case, Pittsburgh can get back on track with a division victory in Week 11 and avoid getting swept.
Steelers Fans Spot Mike Tomlin’s Surprising Trend in Shaping NFL Legacies
When it was first reported that the Pittsburgh Steelers were visiting with free-agent cornerback Asante Samuel Jr., nobody was surprised that Mike Tomlin was interested in acquiring the talented cornerback... and it's not just because the Steelers had a need at the CB position.
Over the years, it's become increasingly clear that Tomlin values strong NFL bloodlines. And his team put this on display once again when Pittsburgh officially signed Samuel Jr. to the practice squad.
Tomlin and the Steelers expressed interest in Samuel ahead of the 2021 NFL Draft, and taking the former Florida State Seminole in the first round was on the table. Eventually, Samuel fell out of the first round and landed with the Los Angeles Chargers with the 47th overall pick in the second round.
Sadly, in his fourth NFL season, Samuel suffered a neck injury during a collision in practice, which ultimately required a spinal fusion surgery in April 2025. Now we've learned that the Steelers' team doctor, Dr. David Okonkwo, performed the surgery, per NFL insider Ian Rapoport.
Since Samuel Jr. hit free agency after his rookie contract expired during the 2025 offseason, all signs pointed to Pittsburgh... and it's easy to see why.
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin values Asante Samuel Jr.'s strong NFL bloodlines
Asante Samuel Jr. is the son of former NFL All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Asante Samuel, who is most known for his impressive performances with the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles during the 2000s.
So when his son began to follow in his footsteps, it was only a matter of time before Coach Tomlin took notice. One year after passing on Samuel in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers selected Joey Porter Jr. with the 32nd overall pick in the 2025 draft—the son of Steelers legend Joey Porter.
It's not just the sons of former NFL superstars that Tomlin has gone after over the years; it's any strong NFL bloodlines. In 2022, the Steelers briefly made history by having four sets of brothers on their 90-man roster (Cam and Conner Heyward, T.J. and Derek Watt, Trey and Terrell Edmunds, and Carlos and Khalil Davis).
Samuel Jr. has been cleared to play, but he will begin his NFL comeback on the practice squad. Despite his underwhelming size (5'10'', 180 pounds), Samuel Jr. has been almost exclusively a boundary cornerback during his first four seasons with the Chargers.
If all goes well, Samuel could earn a promotion to the active roster if he can get up to speed over the next few weeks and begin to carve out a role on defense. With the Steelers' need at cornerback and Tomlin's love for NFL family connections, signing Asante Samuel Jr. was a move fans saw coming a mile away.
