The legal tampering period for the Pittsburgh Steelers and other 31 NFL teams begins on Monday. It is always fascinating to see how aggressive organizations get at this time of year. There is truly a clock put on front offices once the season wraps up, because there is a race to re-sign some of their own guys that could potentially test the market. General Manager Omar Khan has been very quiet in that regard, but he did finally make a subtle, but important move on Monday morning that will make free agency much less stressful when it comes to the defensive side of the ball.
%202023%20Camp%20Final%20with%20Logos/2L9A7672-544x306.jpg "Steelers Omar Khan")
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Steelers General Manager Omar Khan hangs out with the fans and signs some autographs at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA during 2023 training camp.
The Steelers are very thin in the secondary, as it has been noted consistently just how pivotal it is for the team to re-sign either Asante Samuel Jr. or James Pierre. Per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, Pittsburgh is retaining one of its own, as Samuel will be wearing the Black and Gold for at least one more season, providing some security to the cornerback room.
The Steelers are re-signing corner Asante Samuel Jr. to a one-year, $4M deal, per source.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) March 9, 2026
Samuel, who recovered from neck surgery in 2025, gets a full season in Pittsburgh. pic.twitter.com/3ty2RHWkkv
Samuel came to town in the middle of the 2025 season after recovering from serious offseason surgery. Not many teams wanted to take a chance on him, but the Steelers did, and now he is thanking them for the opportunity by signing a deal prior to the tampering period beginning. This is a very good move, especially considering the fact that Pierre is supposed to have a very serious market.
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Steelers Asante Samuel Jr warming up before regular season game against the Bills in Weel 13 of the 2025 NFL season
News will continue to trickle in for fans throughout the week, and the Steelers are off to a good start. There are other pending free agents that also could be signed before the tampering period begins, but Samuel's one-year deal makes sense. He is betting on himself to perform like he did when the was with the Los Angeles Chargers, in the hopes of landing a big contract in 2027.
Those from around the league are already giving some analysis to the signing, as the move provides the Steelers with some options in the secondary.
Shouldn’t be viewed as a locked in starter, but solid depth option at least. https://t.co/YLgj6lK022
— Jon Ledyard (@LedyardNFLDraft) March 9, 2026
It's evident that the Steelers value Samuel and his contributions from 2025. He was put in a tough spot coming off of a major surgery; however, he proved that he still has what it takes to compete at a very high level.
Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. (22) goes up to grab an interception during a regular season matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Miami Dolphins.
Steelers Can Build Off Of The Re-Signing Of Samuel
Pittsburgh still has plenty of work to do in order to rebuild its secondary. There is some flexibility with Jalen Ramsey having the talents to play both cornerback and safety, but the Steelers still need to add to the rooms throughout the 2026 offseason. Bringing Samuel back was a good start, but there is still work to be done as Khan begins to revamp the defensive side of the ball.
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