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.
Commanders player's suspension is at the center of a new controversy
Issues seem to keep finding the Washington Commanders this season. Between a string of injuries that have hindered their progress and a series of suspensions, the team can’t seem to catch a break.
Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu faced a suspension for repeated hip-drop tackles, which was later reduced to a fine after his appeal. Then, during Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions, defensive tackle Daron Payne was ejected after throwing a punch at Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown.
Payne’s Side
After the game, teammate Javon Kinlaw insisted that the wide receiver struck Payne first. Payne later posted a video appearing to show St. Brown throwing the initial punch. Now, St. Brown is speaking out and sharing his side of the story.
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St. Brown Explains How It Started
On a recent episode of his St. Brown Podcast, the star wide receiver explained that the confrontation began two plays before Payne threw the punch.
“Two plays before that I’m blocking, um, I believe it was number 20,” said St. Brown, referring to Commanders safety Quan Martin.
“He is lowkey driving me, he got me, he got under me, and he’s driving me back into the pile,” he continued. “The play is kind of dead and he drives me down. I mean good play by him.”
Things Escalate Between St. Brown and Payne
As St. Brown continued, he said that was when things started to go wrong. “I get up and he’s talking to me, whatever, I wasn’t even saying much and Payne comes out and bumps me,” according to St. Brown.
The bump from Payne left St. Brown confused. “I’m like what the f**k?” he said. St. Brown admitted that after that, he hit Payne and that Payne started talking trash. “Then I hit him again, I accidentally hit him in the face,” St. Brown admitted. “I didn’t mean to jab him in the face, I just meant to push him off and I so happen to hit him in the face.”
Officials appeared to miss the initial exchange, as no flag was thrown on St. Brown. Payne’s retaliation, however, drew a penalty resulting in his ejection and a subsequent suspension.
St. Brown Owns Up, But Payne Still Suspended
St. Brown acknowledged his role in the altercation. “At that point I was like I shouldn’t have done that. Probably a flag, the ref was standing right there, he didn’t throw the flag, so that’s that.”
What St. Brown didn’t anticipate was Payne’s response two plays later. Despite the release of video footage and now with St. Brown’s own account of events, Payne’s appeal was denied. As a result, he will remain suspended and is ineligible to suit up against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.
