Asante Samuel Jr. entered the last season of his rookie contract as a perceived pillar of the LA Chargers' defense. Unfortunately, Samuel only played four games for the Chargers in 2024 and was not seen or heard from for months.
Jim Harbaugh provided little context around Samuel's absence, making many believe there was something behind the scenes keeping the former second-round pick away from the team. Rookies Tarheeb Still and Cam Hart stepped up in his absence, leaving many Chargers fans to believe that Samuel's time in LA was over.
Samuel, who is entering free agency for the first time in his career, spoke to reporters on Sunday for the first time in months. The cornerback chalked his absence up to "stinger symptoms" and said he wants to return to the Chargers in 2025.
Chargers CB Asante Samuel Jr said he was dealing with a shoulder injury that happened during practice in a collision before the Denver game. Says the shoulder injury is something he has dealt with since birth. He talks about wanting to return to the team in 2025. pic.twitter.com/OgAKCLL2q9
— Fernando Ramirez (@RealFRamirez) January 12, 2025
Asante Samuel Jr's explanation for Chargers absence doesn't add any clarity
Samuel's explanation for his absence does not exactly line up with what Chargers fans were previously told. Harbaugh told reporters Samuel suffered an injury outside of practice, which does not line up with what Samuel is now telling reporters.
Complicating matters even more is Samuel expressing his desire to return to Los Angeles. Granted, this could just be a case of him not wanting to bury his teammates and coaches in a public forum, but this is not the type of response fans were expecting.
If Samuel is being genuine and does want to return it may not matter much. Samuel's play style does not match what defensive coordinator Jesse Minter prioritizes. With Still and Hart stepping up, the Chargers will likely wish Samuel the best in his future endeavors.
This entire saga around Samuel this season is something other teams should be prodding about in free agency. It is strange for a player and coach to have completely different stories about what happened, and it is important to understand the potential motivations by each party.
On the Harbaugh side, he was simply relaying information to reporters. There seemingly would be no reason for Harbaugh to have an agenda to make up a false reality about what happened to Samuel. The only other explanation is that he misspoke, but he never clarified his comments.
Samuel, meanwhile, does have something to lose from an injury outside of practice. The last thing he wants other teams thinking while he is trying to sign a new contract is that he is being reckless outside of practice and is getting hurt. For him, it makes all the sense in the world to tell the story that he was hurt during practice.
Nobody really knows what happens besides those in the building. With two different stories, it is impossible to know where the truth really lies.
One thing is for certain, though. Samuel's time in Los Angeles is likely over, regardless of the positive things he said about the team and its fanbase.