Two big-name LA Chargers still remain unsigned following the 2025 NFL Draft. Running back J.K. Dobbins and cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. were both expected to find homes early in the offseason but that has not been the reality.
The Chargers made it clear they have no problem bringing Dobbins back if push comes to shove, even after the team drafted Omarion Hampton with the No. 22 pick. Los Angeles slapped an unrestricted free agency tender on Dobbins that would force him back to LA if no other team signs him.
Interestingly enough, the Chargers did not do the same thing with Samuel. For a team that is so concerned about milking every ounce of value it can, it is telling that the Chargers decided to slap Dobbins with the rate tender, but not Samuel.
Chargers say the quiet part out loud about Asante Samuel Jr.
If Dobbins signs with another team it will count toward the 2026 compensatory pick formula, potentially netting the Chargers an extra sixth or seventh-round pick. If he doesn't sign, he would return to the Chargers on a one-year deal worth 110% of last year's salary (which was the league minimum).
The Chargers could have used this same logic with Samuel. After all, he is the best cornerback on the market and the Chargers could benefit from adding another corner if push comes to shove. Los Angeles would either get a comp pick for him signing elsewhere, or would bring him back on a $4.4 million deal.
The Chargers could easily afford a $4.4 million cap hit, and would benefit from getting the chance to get an extra comp pick, so what gives?
This is a massive, even if its unintentional, message from the Chargers. After Samuel's wonky 2024 season where he sat on IR with an injury sustained outside of practice, according to Jim Harbaugh, it's clear the Chargers don't want to bring him back.
Samuel's 2024 season was as strange as it gets and it's clear there is some sort of disconnect between the two sides. If there wasn't, the Chargers would have no issue slapping the UFA tender on Samuel, knowing it may bring him back to the team.
This is a flashing red light for any other team interested in Samuel. If the team that drafted him is doing everything it can to avoid him, then it's probably not a good sign for his future.
It's unfortunate, too, because in the long run, a UFA tender on Samuel would have been the most efficient route in terms of asset management. But alas, the Chargers don't want to be in the Asante Samuel Jr. business anymore.