Before the legal tampering window even opened, the Pittsburgh Steelers locked down a familiar face. Asante Samuel Jr. is coming back after the team picked him up midway through last season.
Samuel’s road back to the field wasn’t easy. He had spinal-fusion surgery last April and didn’t get medical clearance until partway through the regular season.
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After visiting with a few interested teams, he landed on Pittsburgh’s practice squad in mid-November. By late November, he got bumped up to the 53-man roster and played in six regular-season games.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Steelers brought him back on a one-year, $4 million contract.
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Over five seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers and Steelers, Samuel has racked up 154 solo tackles, 32 assists, one fumble recovery, and seven interceptions. He originally signed a one-year, $1.255 million deal with Pittsburgh last year and wrapped the season with six solo tackles, four assists, and one interception in six games.
Samuel was a second-round pick by the Chargers and has built his reputation on sharp instincts and solid ball skills in coverage. He’s good at jumping routes and getting his hands on passes.
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Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Asante Samuel Jr.
Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. walks the field before the game against the Buffalo Bills at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
But tackling has always been the knock on him. The Steelers seem fine with that under new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham.
What is still unclear is how Samuel fits into the plans going forward. Pittsburgh has not said if he is penciled in as a starter or just extra depth, especially with the draft coming up in April. The team could still target the cornerback position early if they want to beef things up.
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