Mike Tomlin Asante Samuel Jr.
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ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers signed cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. to their practice squad.
Free agent cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. was set to visit the Pittsburgh Steelers on Wednesday. But a day prior to that scheduled visit, Samuel agreed to go ahead and join the organization.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported Tuesday that Samuel has signed a contract to become a member of the Steelers practice squad. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport also reported the transaction on Tuesday afternoon.
Jeremy Fowler
Free-agent cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. is signing with the Steelers practice squad, per source.
A top-25 free agent in March, Samuel recovered from spinal-fusion surgery in time to sign for the season’s second half. Now, he gets a new start with Pittsburgh.
Ian Rapoport
#Chargers FA CB Asante Samuel, who had a spinal fusion procedure this offseason and was fully cleared, is signing with the #Steelers practice squad, sources said.
A prime landing spot for a former top free agent.
Samuel was a rising star with the Los Angeles Chargers while on his rookie contract from 2021-24. But in 2024, he missed the final 12 games of the season because of a shoulder ailment.
In January, ESPN’s Kris Rhim reported Samuel suffered the injury on a collision in practice. The cornerback underwent a spinal fusion procedure, which was why he remained a free agent the entire offseason.
Now cleared to play, though, Samuel could be a significant addition to the Steelers secondary for the stretch run in 2025.
Steelers Sign CB Asante Samuel Jr.: Report
Rapoport reported on November 5 that Samuel planned to visit six different teams. Interestingly, the Steelers were his last scheduled visit for November 12.
The cornerback was also set to see the Carolina Panthers, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, San Francisco 49ers and Chicago Bears.
But after those other five visits and just before seeing the Steelers, Samuel chose Pittsburgh as his next home.