Exit Meeting: CB Asante Samuel Jr.
Experience: 5 Years
The Steelers, theoretically, had a choice between keeping Asante Samuel Jr. and James Pierre this offseason, and they chose Samuel. Pierre signed with the Vikings for a bit more money, but they still gave Samuel a chunk of change. Returning on a one-year, $4 million contract, he has another year in Pittsburgh to revitalize his career.
But the Steelers aren’t promising him anything, and in fact, they have already moved forward. After re-signing Asante Samuel, the front office added veteran Jamel Dean on a three-year contract. Dean will be a starter, and Joey Porter Jr. is already on the other side.
So what does that leave for Samuel, who started throughout his career with the Chargers before suffering a career-threatening injury? That neck injury, which resulted in spinal fusion surgery, depressed his market for obvious reasons. The Steelers were likely one of the few teams interested in him, both last year and this offseason.
A former second-round pick, Asante Samuel Jr. started 47 games for the Chargers over four years. Just four games into the 2024 season, however, a lingering neck issue prevented him from playing further. He spent the rest of the year sidelined, and eventually—reluctantly—went for surgery.
Because he delayed surgery, he also delayed his recovery timeline. Samuel didn’t begin exploring signing with a new team until well into the 2025 season. Somewhat quickly, though, he agreed to sign with the Steelers’ practice squad. In the weeks, he earned a spot on the 53-man roster and, due to injuries, had some opportunities to play, even to start.
In all, Samuel logged 222 defensive snaps last season. He recorded 10 tackles, intercepting a pass with a pass defensed. Prior to his time in Pittsburgh, he recorded 2 interceptions in each of his first three seasons. In a 2022 playoff game, he intercepted Trevor Lawrence three times.
The Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves licking their wounds after yetanother early playoff exit. This is a repeated pattern for the organization, but with major change coming. As the Steelers conduct their own exit meetings, we willgo down the roster conducting our own. Who should stay, and who should go, and how? Who should expect a bigger role next season, and who might deserve a new contract? The resignation of Mike Tomlin makes those questions much more difficult to answer, but much more important. We’ll explore those questions and more in these articles, part of an annual series.
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