Countdown May Be On for Vikings Free Agent Target
Remember the Asante Samuel Jr. rumors for the Minnesota Vikings from March and April? Those free agent theories could be nearing a resolution.
One popular cornerback in the Vikings free agent rumor mill is expected to get a medical verdict in July — and that could affect the club’s summer plans.
Free agency got underway over three months ago, and to date, Samuel Jr. has signed nowhere. Some concerns exist about his long-term health, and NFL general managers need more clarity before signing on his dotted line.
Well, according to the timeline, Samuel Jr.’s free agency could come to a head in about 10 days.
What Happens Next for the Vikings?
Asante Samuel Jr. Medical Verdict Expected in July
National media originally circled July as Samuel Jr.’s timeframe for a prognosis.
NBC Sports‘ Josh Alper wrote last month, “It looks like cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. is going to wait a little longer before finding a team for the 2025 season. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports that Samuel visited the Saints on Monday, but that his current plan is for him to wait until the summer before deciding on a plan for the season.”
“He is set for an early July checkup on his neck after having surgery in April. Samuel was limited to four games during the 2024 season with what he described as a stinger that exacerbated a preexisting condition.”
And although it may feel like June just got here, July is only a week and a half away.
Alper added, “Samuel said he did not think it would keep him from playing again, but it remains to be seen what will happen in the fall. Samuel was a 2021 second-round pick of the Chargers and he had 176 tackles, six interceptions, 37 passes defensed, and a fumble recovery while starting 47 of the 50 regular season games he played for the AFC West team.”
The Possible Need for Asante Samuel Jr.
Now, for the beefy question: Do the Vikings need another cornerback? The answer is debatable.
Some fans — and probably the Vikings, as an organization — are content with Byron Murphy Jr., Isaiah Rodgers, Mekhi Blackmon, Jeff Okudah, Dwight McGlothern, and Ambry Thomas for training camp, the preseason, and the regular season depth chart.
The club, especially, has spoken glowingly of Rodgers, the free-agent newcomer.
Moreover, if the Vikings really wanted more cornerback help, well, they probably should’ve signed Jaire Alexander for six million bucks any time in the last couple of weeks. They did not, and Alexander joined the Baltimore Ravens this week.
Still, some onlookers hold out hope that Samuel Jr., pending his medical situation, was the plan all along for the Vikings.
The Wild Rumor from March
Comically, this whole thing started with an outlandish rumor from SKOR North.
That network gave a rumor legs involving a listener’s neighbor who saw Samuel Jr. at a Florida nightclub wearing Vikings gear and claiming he’d sign with the Vikings. Couple that juiciness with the fact that the Vikings may or may not need an extra cornerback for a Super Bowl-contending roster, and many decided the Samuel Jr. just had to be true.
Thankfully, with July close, the SKOR North rumor will face judgment.
Other Free Agent Options at CB
Let’s make a couple of assumptions: a) The Vikings do want more cornerback help b) They don’t win the Asante Samuel Jr. sweepstakes.
In that scenario, the Vikings’ free agent options might look like this:
- Mike Hilton
- Shaquill Griffin
- Jack Jones
- Rasul Douglas
- Stephon Gilmore
- C.J. Henderson
Or via trade:
- Jalen Ramsey
- Greg Newsome II
- Tariq Woolen
If none of that materializes, it’ll be the Byron Murphy Jr. and Isaiah Rodgers show for the 2025 Vikings as starting outside corners.
Bleacher Report’s Take on Samuel Jr.
Bleacher Report‘s Kristopher Knox detailed Samuel Jr.’s situation on Thursday, “Asante Samuel Jr. is more of a risk-reward option than other players featured here. He was limited to only four games last season by a stinger issue that may not go away. According to The Athletic‘s Daniel Popper, the stinger ailment affected both of Samuel’s shoulders in 2024 and is something the corner was ‘born with.'”
“Several teams will be interested if Samuel is deemed healthy before training camp. He’s had tackling issues and isn’t the most physical corner. He has tremendous ball skills, though, is only 25 and showed a ton of growth before last year’s injury. Samuel started 16 games for the Los Angeles Chargers in 2023 and allowed an opposing passer rating of only 87.4 in coverage that season. He logged an impressive 26 pass breakups over his first three seasons.”
Samuel Jr. will turn 26 in October — still in his career’s prime if the medicals come back clean.
Knox concluded, “Signing Samuel would make the most sense for teams willing to take a risk at cornerback. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers could be just such a team. Tampa was good enough to win the NFC South (again) in 2024 but ranked 29th in passing yards allowed. Taking a flier on Samuel could make a lot of sense as the Bucs develop rookie corners Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish.”
“The Dolphins may or may not be playoff contenders in 2025, but they do need cornerback help with Ramsey on the way out and have already considered Samuel.”
It could be as early as a week and a half to determine if the longstanding Samuel Jr. rumor was true for the purple team. July is near.
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