Asante Samuel Jr. had a buzzworthy 2024 season with the LA Chargers for all the wrong reasons. Samuel was randomly added to the Injured Reserve on a Saturday with an injury that Jim Harbaugh said was suffered outside of the practice.
Fast forward to the end of the season and Samuel told reporters he was dealing with the lingering effects of a stinger. It was then revealed recently after a visit with the New Orleans Saints that Samuel had neck surgery in April and would wait to make a decision on his future until after a check-up in July.
Samuel's decision may have just made itself. The Arizona Cardinals placed cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting on NFI list, ending his 2025 season well before it began. With Murphy-Bunting out for the year, there is a spot for Samuel to slide in and receive starting snaps.
Cardinals are now a logical destination for Chargers free agent Asante Samuel Jr.
New Orleans and the Miami Dolphins are also in the market for Samuel and they won't be the only teams. As interesting as Samuel's 2024 season was, he is still a young cornerback who has shown tremendous upside in the NFL.
It may truly become a bidding war for the young cornerback as some teams view him as a cheap one-year flier while others may view him as an imperative piece of the defense. The Cardinals have the obvious advantage as they have the fifth-most cap space in the NFL.
Arizona is arguably the most compelling destination for Samuel on an individual level as well. The Cardinals are a team with the arrow firmly pointing up thanks to defensive-minded head coach Jonathan Gannon. Samuel would get the chance to play for a defense that has the pieces to be special in 2025, and he could be a key part of that turnaround.
New Orleans is in a much worse place, success-wise and going to the Big Easy would mean a reunion with Brandon Staley. Staley may have drafted Samuel, but it's not like he was putting together good defenses while they shared time in LA.
Most casual fans would argue the Dolphins are in a better place to contend but there are real question marks about the team. Not to mention the Dolphins play in the much tougher AFC, which may keep them out of the playoffs entirely.
Throw in no state income tax in Arizona and it seems like a no brainer for Samuel to prefer the Cardinals. With Murphy-Bunting out for the year, the Cardinals now have every reason to make this a reality.