Asante Samuel Jr. , drafted by the Los Angeles Chargers in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft, is no longer on the team that selected him.
After leaving the team's active roster in 2024 due to a serious neck injury, he's seen his rehabilitation process and future as a player in the NFL continue in Pittsburgh. Was this an indictment of the Chargers' rehabilitation facility, or just a necessary parting of ways for a player and a team with different futures in mind?
Asante Samuel Jr. has a chance to play a major role for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2026
Asante Samuel Jr. underwent spinal fusion surgery after an unfortunate injury sidelined the player for much of the 2024 season, and caused him to miss much of the 2025 season before signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the final four games. Now, entering 2026 with a brand new coaching staff, Samuel Jr. looks to be taking on a more active role in Pittsburgh as he has consistently been named among the camp standouts for the AFC North team.
The 5'10 cornerback saw a fair share of reps during the 2025 season, tallying seven tackles in four games despite returning from the aforementioned spinal fusion surgery, showing definitively the ability to tackle is still there, despite many believing he would be relegated solely to a coverage corner. Additionally, Samuel had a key interception that showed he wasn't there just for depth and could play an active role in the secondary.
Now, as the NFL enters the 2026 season, questions about roster turnover and camp standouts have begun to dominate headlines, and Samuel Jr. has been one of the biggest names standing out in Pittsburgh. Head Coach Mike McCarthy praised Samuel, describing the corner as "one of his favorite players since [he] arrived [in Pittsburgh]", and with CBs Jamel Dean and Joey Porter Jr. both seeing limited exposure in camp, Samuel has had more time to shine and showcase his skills in a surprisingly deep secondary room.
With Mike McCarthy bringing in former Raiders DC Patrick Graham, and McCarthy himself taking an interest in Samuel's progression despite being an offensively-oriented HC, a number of questions have arisen surrounding the player's departure from Los Angeles. It wouldn't be surprising to see that there was a difference in medical opinion among the Chargers' staff and Pittsburgh's. That alone could have propelled Samuel Jr. to leave town in search of another staff that was willing to accommodate and work through his injury to return to playing condition.
However, if that is the case, it does beg the question of whether the Chargers' consistent injury issues are related to something deeper than just coincidence, and a conservative and lackluster medical staff has been employed in working players back from injury. While spinal fusion surgery is serious, this certainly wouldn't be the first example of a Charger struggling from injuries sustained on the team with rehabilitation timelines being longer than expected or failing to bear fruit.
With Pittsburgh's Dr. David Okonkwo heading the surgery that would allow Samuel to return to playing condition, it's not surprising that the still young cornerback would look to continue his career in Pittsburgh. However, for a starting-caliber, 26-going-on-27 year old cornerback to be playing on a contract that comes in at an incredibly affordable $4 million contract, the market was likely shallow on Samuel returning to the same caliber of player he once was.
If Samuel continues to garner camp praise and sees productive time on the field once the season begins in full swing, however, Chargers fans certainly have a reason to be bitter towards their front office. Whether the medical staff were misaligned and didn't put in the full effort that could have been applied to keep a solid corner about, or the front office didn't see a future for Samuel in a Chargers jersey, Samuel is now playing on a different team for a cheap contract and could soon become a serious contributor.
While there's no reason to be upset about Samuel moving teams just yet, if his high-praise camp production continues into live play, Chargers fans may look at a fairly thin cornerback room led by Cam Hart and, ironically, former Steeler Donte Jackson with tones of disappointment or regret. However, with a secondary led by Derwin James Jr. and Elijah Molden in the safety roles, the team may not have seen a need to pursue Samuel when the Charger secondary runs through its safeties before its corners.
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