Can the Steelers get Asante Samuel Jr. ready to play the Bengals?
The Steelers just signed veteran CB Asante Samuel Jr., but what are the odds he would be ready to play against the Bengals? Currently, he is only on the practice squad, but that’s a common onboarding move for in-season veteran additions. The bigger concern is the fact that he hasn’t played in a while—over a year, in fact.
Samuel has cover-corner chops, but is an underwhelming tackler. The Steelers, however, could certainly use whatever help he can provide. In recent weeks, they have moved Jalen Ramsey to safety and scaled back Darius Slay’s playing time. On top of that, Slay is currently in the concussion protocol, so he may not play at all.
If that is the case, then the Steelers could really use Asante Samuel when they play the Bengals. If nothing else, it would be depth, as they currently have Joey Porter Jr., Brandin Echols, and James Pierre as their only healthy bodies. Pierre has actually held up pretty well, all the more impressive given his limited practice reps.
One name we might hear this week is actually D’Shawn Jamison, a veteran on the practice squad. If the Steelers are without Slay and they don’t think Asante Samuel is ready to play, they’ll have to call somebody up. Jamison is one candidate, but so is rookie Daryl Porter, who had his moments in the preseason.
Obviously, the best-case scenario would be Samuel lining up to play for the Steelers this week. But while they are comfortable with his health status after having spinal fusion surgery, the bottom line is he hasn’t played football in a long time. He only managed four games last season before suffering an injury that led to his recent surgery.
The last time the Steelers played the Bengals, Cincinnati abused Pittsburgh’s cornerbacks, so if Samuel could give them any snaps to help in that regard, it certainly would be a welcome sight. He now has the next nine games—or whenever he gets on the field—to audition for a long-term role.
After another disappointing season and months of retooling, the Steelers are set to try it all again in 2025. Though they limped into the playoffs, they once again embarrassed themselves therein.
Just like last year, the biggest question hanging over the Steelers isthe quarterback question. They settled in on Aaron Rodgers, but we still have a lot to learn about him. The2025 NFL Draft class could play a big role, but veteran additions like Jalen Ramsey will be paramount.
Now we are in the regular season. From Rodgers to George Pickens to Minkah Fitzpatrick and Ramsey, we’ve seen the Steelers make some big changes. Now it’s about evaluating the roster in place and figuring out how it all works out.
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