Former Los Angeles Chargers defensive back Asante Samuel Jr. is finally continuing his NFL career.
That career was left very much in doubt when the 26-year-old missed most of the 2024 season with injuries. It was learned that a neck injury was going to keep Samuel off the field for some time and though teams checked in on him this offseason, not much came of those talks, as there was no clear timetable for a return.
Samuel underwent spinal fusion surgery and was recently cleared by doctors to return to the field. On Tuesday, he signed a deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers to join their practice squad. He will likely be caught up to speed and have a good chance of being elevated to the 53-man roster soon.
Samuel has not played in a regular-season game since September 29, 2024, and his tenure with the Chargers came to an abrupt end. A second-round pick of the team in 2021, it appeared that he would be a fixture in L.A. for years to come as he had two interceptions in each of his first three seasons with the team while gaining a reputation as one of the league’s more scrappy corners.
Asante Samuel Jr highlights for anyone not familiar with his game 👀
— MetcalfBurgh 🫡 (@PickensBurgh) November 11, 2025
But the 2024 season changed everything. That offseason, the Chargers had drafted Tarheeb Still and Cam Hart in the draft, looking to the future at the position.
Though Samuel’s intentions were always to return to the field, there never seemed to be much interest in the Chargers’ front office for his playing career to continue there. Samuel now gets a second chance in the Steel City with a team that just lost to the Chargers this past Sunday.
He will join a secondary that already has Darius Slay and Joey Porter Jr., a veteran and a player with an NFL dad, just like he had. Samuel is the son of Asante Samuel, who went to four Pro Bowls and helped the New England Patriots win two Super Bowls.
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