Asante Samuel Jr. last played for the LA Chargers in Week 4 of the 2024 season. Over a year later, Samuel is ready to make his return to the NFL.
Samuel sat out a majority of the 2024 season before having spinal fusion surgery in April. He was recently cleared to play, kickstarting an in-season bidding war that is unique to the 2021 second-round pick. It's rare that a young, talented cornerback is available midway through the NFL season, but here we are.
The former Chargers cornerback made his first of many visits on Wednesday with the Carolina Panthers. The Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, San Francisco 49ers, Chicago Bears, and Pittsburgh Steelers will all meet with Samuel over the next week. From there, Samuel can make his choice.
The choice itself is fairly obvious.
Asante Samuel Jr's next team after his Chargers tenure will obviously be the Packers
The Packers are the obvious frontrunners for Samuel. Green Bay is such a good fit for Samuel that it's surprising he is even taking meetings with other teams.
First of all, the Packers are clearly the best team of this bunch (even if they did just lose to the Panthers last week). The 49ers and Steelers are the only other playoff favorites in this group and they do not have the same perceived ceiling as the Packers.
Anything can happen in the NFL Playoffs, but if Samuel cares about winning, he will prefer Green Bay.
Winning isn't the only selling point, however. Decisions are typically made in the NFL because of connections and the Packers have a connection with Samuel that no other team has. Former Chargers coach Derrick Ansley is the passing game coordinator for the Packers, giving Samuel a very familiar face to play under in Green Bay.
Ansley was the defensive backs coach in Los Angeles when Samuel was drafted in 2021. He served in that role for two seasons before being promoted to defensive coordinator in 2023. He left the team in 2024 when Jim Harbaugh was hired as head coach.
Samuel's return to NFL action is a blessing and he will look to turn this blessing into future opportunities. The former Florida State corner can lock up multiple years of job security with a strong showing in the tail-end of the regular season and the playoffs.
There is no better place to do that than with someone who Samuel is familiar with. That is what makes the Packers the obvious favorite for Samuel's services.