The Pittsburgh Steelers just re-upped with their first player of the offseason, and it came on the eve of free agency unofficially opening. It comes by way of Asante Samuel Jr. coming back on a one-year deal worth $4 million.
This was a really prudent move for the Steelers.
Samuel joined the Steelers halfway through the year after fully recovering from a neck injury in 2025. He took a while to get up to speed, but when called upon, he performed well. He did all of that while learning a new system after spending a considerable amount of time off because of said injury.
Now, you enter the dawn of free agency with that hole patched up, but still the flexibility to add to the room either through free agency or the draft.
The Pittsburgh Steelers made the right gamble with Asante Samuel Jr.
Let’s start with the financials of this contract, as his $4 million in pay seems like a low-risk, high-reward deal. At worst, Samuel is your third cornerback on the depth chart. His cost isn’t egregious for that.
At best, he recaptures the highlights of 2025 and showcases some of the elite traits he had with the Chargers a few years back. Before his injury, most people were expecting Samuel to get a deal in the range of a top 20 player at his position.
What this deal does is provide you with flexibility. James Pierre was the naturally linked name, but he reportedly has a few suitors during this free agency cycle. I’d take Samuel on this deal than overpaying for Pierre.
You can still add another veteran in free agency. Eric Stokes or one of the other mid-range free agents is still a viable option, as you can frame the signing as competition for the other starting spot. You need three viable cornerbacks in this pass-happy NFL.
You can also still draft a cornerback early. If the right player is there at pick 21, you can add them but not be forced to rush them onto the field if they aren’t ready. A day two pick is still logical as well.
The most important word is could. None of these scenarios could occur, and you can still feel comfortable with Samuel starting for the year next to Porter.
The worst thing about this deal is the length. It would have been ideal to get him on a two-year deal for some more control, but that wouldn’t have made as much sense for Samuel to buy low on himself.
If he balls out and you can’t retain him, he will fetch you healthy comp pick. Add in the flexibility this year and this is a hard deal to dislike.