Asante Samuel Jr. Cleared After Back Surgery, Free Agent CB Eyes Contract After Injury

NFL teams in need of cornerback depth ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline will reportedly have the chance to add a defensive playmaker without giving anything up like they would in a trade.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported Monday that Asante Samuel Jr., who is a free agent, was cleared for football activities and plans on visiting teams as early as this week.

Samuel underwent spinal fusion surgery in April after he was limited to just four games last season.

"At the end of that season, Samuel described the injury as a stinger in both shoulders but also a condition he has been dealing with since he was born," Fowler wrote. "It became clear in the spring he needed the procedure."

The Florida State product was a second-round pick of the Los Angeles Chargers in 2021 and played his first four seasons with the AFC West team. He didn't miss a game in 2023 and finished with 63 tackles, 13 passes defended and two interceptions.

He also posted double-digit passes defended in each of his first two seasons in the league.

The free agent cornerback is the son of Asante Samuel, who was a four-time Pro Bowler and two-time Super Bowl champion during his career that lasted from 2003-13 and included stops with the New England Patriots, Philadelphia Eagles and Atlanta Falcons.

While Samuel Jr. will need to work his way back on the field and is coming off an injury-shortened campaign the last time he played, he is just 26 years old and not far removed from being a key defensive playmaker for the Chargers.

Perhaps teams that don't want to give anything up in a trade but still need help in the secondary will see this as an opportunity to improve with just one signing.