Vikings Lose Out on Top Free Agent
It won’t be the Minnesota Vikings after all, and a longstanding rumor is dead. Free-agent cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. completed his world tour this week, deciding on the Pittsburgh Steelers as his new NFL home.
The Vikings came up short in their pursuit of a top free agent target, missing a chance to bolster the roster ahead of a crucial late-season stretch.
Vikings fans believed for eight months that Samuel Jr. could land in Minnesota, but that rumor turned out to be bogus. It’s Pittsburgh for Samuel Jr.
Asante Samuel Jr. Declines Vikings, Joins Steelers
No cigar for more cornerback depth.
Steerlers Lock Samuel Jr. onto Practice Squad
After much anticipation and daydreaming by purple fans, Samuel Jr. chose Pittsburgh over Minnesota.
ESPN Brooke Pryor wrote Tuesday, “Help is on the way for the banged-up Pittsburgh Steelers’ secondary. The Steelers are signing cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. to the team’s practice squad, a source told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. An ESPN top-25 overall free agent in March, Samuel underwent spinal-fusion surgery in April, delaying his signing.”
“Though Samuel is joining the practice squad, he could fill a major need with injuries piling up in the secondary. Cornerback Darius Slay is in the concussion protocol after an incidental helmet-to-helmet hit with teammate Kyle Dugger on Sunday. Jalen Ramsey, once the team’s starting slot corner, has spent the bulk of the past two games at free safety after injuries decimated that group.”
Minnesota will maintain the status quo with Byron Murphy Jr., Isaiah Rodgers, Fabian Moreau, and Dwight McGlothern at cornerback. Veteran Jeff Okudah is on injured reserve after his second concussion of 2025.
A Chance for Career Rejuvenation
When Samuel Jr was last healthy as a full-time starter in 2023, he played wonderfully for the Los Angeles Chargers, excelling in sticky pass coverage while always struggling a bit with tackling ball carriers.
Then, the injury arose in the middle of the 2024 campaign. It was so serious that Samuel Jr. did not partake in 2025 free agency, instead biding his time for a clean bill of health, which arrived about eight months later. He accepted a tour of sorts last week, meeting with the Green Bay Packers, Carolina Panthers, the Vikings, and a couple of other squads.
He chose Mike Tomlin’s Steelers, a wise spot for career rejuvenation. If someone can get the best out of Samuel Jr. during his comeback, Tomlin would probably headline the list.
Obituary for Vikings’ Longest-Running Rumor
SKOR North created the Samuel Jr. rumor mill for the Vikings in March. One of its listeners claimed that Samuel Jr. was spotted in Florida wearing a Vikings cap, and that was evidently a smoking gun for his eventual plans. The network ran with the theory on live air and stayed committed to the rumor for months.
In the end, the rumor was either flat-out wrong or Samuel Jr. changed his mind.
It’s worth noting that if Samuel Jr. doesn’t thrive in Pittsburgh, he could hit the open free-agent market all over again in four months.
Who Else Could Minnesota Sign at CB?
Samuel Jr. was the last best chance this season for Minnesota to make a splashy move at cornerback. Full stop. He would have been signed on Day No. 1 of free agency back in March if his medicals had checked out. Now, in November, the league’s trade deadline has passed. No truly delightful CB options exist for Minnesota if an injury sidelines Byron Murphy Jr. or Isaiah Rodgers.
Instead, Minnesota would have to explore a free-agent market like this:
- Beanie Bishop
- Stephon Gilmore
- Shaquill Griffin (SEA Practice Squad)
- Cameron Sutton
Bishop is intriguing, as those same Steelers dropped him last week, and Bishop posted a decent rookie season in 2024.
More on Samuel Jr. to PIT
The Athletic‘s Mike DeFabo weighed in on the Samuel Jr. transaction: “A significant knee injury to safety DeShon Elliott and poor performances from the secondary as a whole have made the Steelers rethink their plans. With Elliott likely sidelined for the rest of the regular season, the Steelers played Ramsey at safety full-time the last two games.”
“They also acquired safety Kyle Dugger in a trade with the Patriots, as Chuck Clark’s playing time has diminished and Juan Thornhill was released. Ramsey’s move to safety has provided some stability on the back end, but it’s also put a strain on the Steelers’ cornerback room.”
Pittsburgh’s defense ranks 15th in the NFL per DVOA through 10 weeks.
DeFabo continued, “The 34-year-old Slay has looked his age and is currently in the concussion protocol; his status for Sunday’s game against the Bengals remains uncertain. While Samuel will start on the practice squad, his addition gives the Steelers more choices when it comes to dividing the labor. He’s primarily an outside corner but has also cross-trained since his rookie season in the slot.”
“Brandin Echols, who was playing primarily slot corner the last couple of games, was exposed on multiple plays in Sunday night’s loss to the Chargers. Depending on the opponent and the defensive personnel package, Samuel may wear several hats this season.”
Samuel Jr. turned 26 last month.
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