The Pittsburgh Steelers have elevated cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. from the practice squad to the active roster for their game against the Buffalo Bills.
Samuel was signed by the team three weeks ago and this will be his Steelers debut after ramping up over the last few weeks on the practice squad.
Samuel had spinal fusion surgery in April, but is now cleared and weighed his options on where to sign for the stretch run this season. He took his first visit with the Carolina Panthers over a week ago, with the Steelers being the last team he will visit.
Samuel checked all the boxes from a medical perspective after such a severe injury, but his surgery was done by Dr. David Okonkwo, who is the Steelers’ team neurosurgeon.
Initially, the injury was thought to be a shoulder issue, but it was a neck injury that ended up requiring surgery. Okonkwo cleared Samuel to return to football last week, and he has now started to set up visits as a result.
Samuel, 26, is the son of former Super Bowl Champion Asante Samuel Sr., who stood out with the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles during his NFL career.
He was a second-round pick out of Florida State by the Los Angeles Chargers in the 2021 NFL Draft. Samuel has consistently played as a slot cornerback over his career, and that would likely be where he would slot in with the Steelers.
