Based on multiple reports, the Pittsburgh Steelers are planning to sign free-agent cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. to the practice squad. The news came out on Tuesday, just hours after Samuel was in for a visit with the team. Samuel had met with several teams after being medically cleared to play following offseason spinal fusion surgery.
Here are four things the addition of Samuel could mean for the Steelers in the second half of the season.
Jalen Ramsey stays at free safety
The move to free safety has really worked out for Jalen Ramsey and the Steelers so the addition of Samuel could cement that move with Samuel able to come in and at worst be the team’s No. 3 cornerback.
Darius Slay gets pushed down the depth chart
Perhaps the best-case scenario for the Steelers is Samuel gets up to speed quickly and he becomes the co-starter across from Joey Porter Jr. and Slay can work in along with Brandin Echols and James Pierre in sub packages.
Maybe not much at all
The reality is we don’t know exactly how ready Samuel is now to play or how long it will take him to get back into playing condition. With eight games left in the regular season, this move could be all about 2026 and the Steelers will be in no rush to get him on the field at all. Like it or not, this might be the most realistic expectation at this point.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: 3 things the signing of CB Asante Samuel Jr. could mean for the Steelers
