Former Chargers Draft Pick Predicted to Sign With Cowboys in Free Agency

The arrival of the offseason means once again keeping a close eye on some former Los Angeles Chargers players.

Some big names like Joey Bosa, for example, will be free agents.

But former Chargers second-round pick Asante Samuel Jr. continues to be one of the most perplexing names of all.

Samuel, now 26, signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers last November and eventually jumped off the practice squad to help out late in the season. But before that, an odd injury saga dominated all the headlines around his name.

Now? Samuel is a low-key interesting free-agent name getting some notable predictions for when he hits the open market.

Former Chargers draft pick gets notable free-agency projection

Where might Samuel land next now that he’s back on his feet and healthy?

Greg Auman of Fox Sports has him as the 95th-ranked free agent going into the offseason and projects him as an interesting rehab project of sorts for the Dallas Cowboys:

“Samuel, 26, is a tempting reclamation project, limited to 10 games over the last two seasons due to a shoulder injury, but a late-season cameo with the Steelers showed promise. Samuel once had three interceptions in one playoff game against the Jaguars, and his first three years in the league netted six interceptions and consistent play. Could he land with the Cowboys and his old Chargers position coach, Derrick Ansley?”

A reunion with a former positional coach is certainly notable for Samuel. He showed plenty of promise and seemed to be a part of the Chargers’ future before going to injured reserve in mid-October of 2024 and then addressing medical concerns.

#Steelers CB Asante Samuel Jr. said the recurrent stingers that he had neck surgery to correct had been something that had bothering him his entire career:

"I feel great. This is the is the healthiest I've ever been." pic.twitter.com/scpvLpOGcP
— Alan Saunders (@ASaunders_PGH) November 12, 2025

If nothing else, it’s a fun small note for Chargers fans to keep tabs on as the offseason unfolds.

The Chargers, meanwhile, just had a breakout from free-agent signing Donte Jackson and are more than happy with the recent mid-round combo of Tarheeb Still and Cam Hart. They've got an encouraging prospect with Nikko Reed on the rise and plenty of money and draft picks to hit the position again, too.

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