When it was first reported that the Pittsburgh Steelers were visiting with free-agent cornerback Asante Samuel Jr., nobody was surprised that Mike Tomlin was interested in acquiring the talented cornerback... and it's not just because the Steelers had a need at the CB position.
Over the years, it's become increasingly clear that Tomlin values strong NFL bloodlines. And his team put this on display once again when Pittsburgh officially signed Samuel Jr. to the practice squad.
Tomlin and the Steelers expressed interest in Samuel ahead of the 2021 NFL Draft, and taking the former Florida State Seminole in the first round was on the table. Eventually, Samuel fell out of the first round and landed with the Los Angeles Chargers with the 47th overall pick in the second round.
Sadly, in his fourth NFL season, Samuel suffered a neck injury during a collision in practice, which ultimately required a spinal fusion surgery in April 2025. Now we've learned that the Steelers' team doctor, Dr. David Okonkwo, performed the surgery, per NFL insider Ian Rapoport.
Since Samuel Jr. hit free agency after his rookie contract expired during the 2025 offseason, all signs pointed to Pittsburgh... and it's easy to see why.
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin values Asante Samuel Jr.'s strong NFL bloodlines
Asante Samuel Jr. is the son of former NFL All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Asante Samuel, who is most known for his impressive performances with the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles during the 2000s.
So when his son began to follow in his footsteps, it was only a matter of time before Coach Tomlin took notice. One year after passing on Samuel in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers selected Joey Porter Jr. with the 32nd overall pick in the 2025 draft—the son of Steelers legend Joey Porter.
It's not just the sons of former NFL superstars that Tomlin has gone after over the years; it's any strong NFL bloodlines. In 2022, the Steelers briefly made history by having four sets of brothers on their 90-man roster (Cam and Conner Heyward, T.J. and Derek Watt, Trey and Terrell Edmunds, and Carlos and Khalil Davis).
Samuel Jr. has been cleared to play, but he will begin his NFL comeback on the practice squad. Despite his underwhelming size (5'10'', 180 pounds), Samuel Jr. has been almost exclusively a boundary cornerback during his first four seasons with the Chargers.
If all goes well, Samuel could earn a promotion to the active roster if he can get up to speed over the next few weeks and begin to carve out a role on defense. With the Steelers' need at cornerback and Tomlin's love for NFL family connections, signing Asante Samuel Jr. was a move fans saw coming a mile away.