The Pittsburgh Steelers are exploring free agency for an addition at cornerback.
According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the Steelers will host free-agent cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. on a visit on Wednesday.
But the Steelers aren't the only team involved, Fowler adds, as Samuel Jr. will also meet with the Carolina Panthers, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, San Francisco 49ers and Chicago Bears.
"Asante Samuel Jr. has a packed free agency visit schedule, per source," Fowler reported on Wednesday. "Panthers today, Packers on Thursday, Vikings on Friday, 49ers on Monday, Bears on Tuesday, Steelers on Wednesday."
You might be wondering why an impact cornerback like Samuel is still available at this time of year.
The reason is Samuel had spinal fusion neck surgery in April and has been on the mend ever since. However, Samuel was recently cleared to play, hence his slew of visits, which began on Wednesday afternoon.
A former second-round pick of the Los Angeles Chargers, Samuel proved himself to be a quality starter over his first four seasons in the NFL.
In 50 career games (47 starts), Samuel has surrendered a completion rate of 59.9% and a passer rating of 92.3 when targeted. His best season came in 2022, when he allowed a 55.2% completion rate and 95.3 passer rating while posting a Pro Football Focus grade of 75.6 in coverage, a career-best.
The Steelers have a clear need at cornerback. Joey Porter Jr. is inconsistent and a penalty machine and Darius Slay has clearly lost a step, to put it nicely.
Jalen Ramsey is no longer an option at cornerback, either, as the Steelers moved him to safety in the wake of the injury to DeShon Elliott. Ramsey played well in Week 9 and the plan is to keep him there.
Samuel would be an excellent addition for the Steelers and a better one than they could possibly hope for at this time of year. However, there is going to be a lot of competition for his services, so acquiring the former second-rounder won't be easy.
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