Steelers Left Those In The League "Shocked" By Taking A Risk On A Player No Other Team Dared To

The Pittsburgh Steelers had a bizarre season in 2025. The team started the year off hot, but the group eventually cooled off and went on a bit of a losing skid around the middle of the year. The organization was fighting for its life by the time the end of the regular season rolled around, and the AFC North was not decided until the final game in Week 18 as the Steelers took down the Baltimore Ravens at home. Pittsburgh also went through some roster changes as the year went on, especially on the defensive side of the ball within the secondary.

One of the additions Pittsburgh made in the middle of the 2025 season was cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. He was initially signed to the team's practice squad, but he was eventually elevated to the active roster. The young cornerback was supposed to be a premier free agent during the 2025 offseason, but he had back surgery that he needed to recover from. There were questions about whether or not he would play in the league again, and beat writer Mike DeFabo of The Athletic recently reported that the Steelers had some other people in the league in shock when the franchise medically cleared and signed Samuel.

"Samuel’s market is interesting," DeFabo wrote. "The Steelers were one of only a few teams willing to medically clear the corner following spinal fusion surgery (One league source said he was shocked any team was willing to clear Samuel). The team should factor in the medical risk when determining what they’re comfortable offering. Also, the market will likely be suppressed by the limited number of teams who would be OK with his medicals. The Steelers also met with a ton of cornerbacks formally and informally and are planning to draft one."

DeFabo was discussing Pittsburgh's situation at cornerback and how both Samuel and James Pierre are scheduled to hit the open market. DeFabo also reported that the organization met with players' representatives during the NFL's 2026 Scouting Combine, but it will be interesting to see the decision made regarding the two defenders. It is hard to imagine both players are brought back into the fold for the 2026 season, but the Steelers have expressed a desire to do so.

Samuel signed with Pittsburgh's practice squad during the second week of November, and he was activated to start December. He wound up playing decently for Pittsburgh down the stretch as he did record an interception against the Miami Dolphins in primetime. However, DeFabo's reporting made it seem as if that most teams in the league would not have cleared Samuel to return to the field after having spinal fusion surgery. Pittsburgh was only one of a few teams that was willing to make the decision to clear the defender.

The cornerback was very good during the first stretch of his career with the Los Angeles Chargers. He had a great postseason performance against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but Los Angeles couldn't re-sign him after he spent most of the 2025 season on Injured Reserve with a shoulder issue before needing to go under the needle for his back injury.

Steelers Bringing Back Asante Samuel Jr. Could Be A Great Idea

Samuel could be brought back to Pittsburgh, and at the very least, he serves as some quality depth in the defensive backfield. Other teams around the league are still scared of his medicals, which already trims the competition for the cornerback down. Pittsburgh should be able to bring him back for a decent price, unless some other team wants him really bad and is willing to pay more than he is worth.

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