For Minnesota Vikings fans pining for the team to announce the signing of cornerback Asante Samuel Jr., who visits the team Friday, there is no deal in sight at the moment.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Samuel’s meetings with teams this week have been purely medical as the former Los Angeles Chargers cornerback is returning from a “very serious” spinal surgery that had put his playing career in jeopardy.
“Asante Samuel Jr, the reason a player like that has a five or six-team tour setup is because medical. He needs to go in and get physicals in different places. Without getting too deep into the weeds on the nature of the injury, it is something very serious and very scary that he is coming back from,” Pelissero said on “The Power Trip” morning show.
“He had a surgery, and this is not an injury that a lot of doctors thought a surgery was going to be able to fully fix. So it’s not just a matter of his doctors clearing him, it’s a team medical staff clearing him. And when you’re talking about a neck issue, a spine issue, those are really sensitive kinds of topics.”
Pelissero later revealed that Samuel will not meet with Vikings decision-makers during his visit.
NFL Insider Weighs in On Vikings’ Potential Signing Asante Samuel Jr.
A 2021 second-round pick, Samuel was poised to be a top-market free agent before suffering a shoulder injury in the 2024 season. In four years with the Chargers, Samuel posted six interceptions and 26 pass breakups as one of the premier playmakers at his position.
Samuel was ranked the No. 14 overall free agent by ESPN before he had a spinal fusion in April.
“He probably would have been the corner to get paid, along with the guys like Carlton Davis in this past free agency class, if he were healthy. The fact that it’s November and we’re talking about him taking a medical tour just shows you how significant this is.
“It doesn’t mean the Vikings or someone else won’t sign him. I would just say that this is not him coming in and meeting the coaching staff and deciding where to go. This is these teams wanting to put him through a battery of tests and make their own determinations,” Pelissero added. “There’s 32 team doctors with 32 degrees of risk tolerance. Everybody is going to make their own judgment on this because it is something pretty significant.”
Vikings Defense Needs Answers at CB Soon
Among six teams that will host Samuel this week, the Vikings are desperate to improve their cornerback room.
The offseason bet on getting more out of former first-round pick Jeff Okudah has not panned out. He ranks 187th of 189 graded cornerbacks by Pro Football Focus with a defensive grade of 32.4.
Okudah is currently in concussion protocol for the second time this season. Fabian Moreau filled in admirably last week against the Detroit Lions.
But if the Vikings are going to improve their coverage, currently ranked 24th by Pro Football Focus, they need to consider external candidates — and none are as viable as Samuel.
Samuel had scheduled visits with the Carolina Panthers, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers, Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears.
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