Asante Samuel Jr., one of the top free agent cornerbacks of this year's class, is waiting to sign with a new team after undergoing neck surgery in April, sources told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.
Samuel, who visited the New Orleans Saints today, has a check-up in early July, after which he will reconvene with several interested teams.
He plans to return to the field for the 2025 season.
Samuel Jr. had been the Los Angeles Chargers' top corner heading into 2024, but his season ended ahead of their Week 6 game against the Denver Broncos when he landed on injured reserve with a shoulder injury. His four games played for the Chargers last season were the fewest he's played in his career.
At the end of the season, Samuel described the injury as a stinger in both shoulders, but also a condition he's been dealing with since he was born. He declined to go into specifics, but said he wasn't concerned that it would impact his career moving forward.
Samuel, 25, has elite ball skills and great instincts in coverage. In the Chargers' 2022 playoff loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, he intercepted quarterback Trevor Lawrence three times in the first half.
Samuel's biggest flaw is tackling, often taking poor angles on ball carriers and allowing more yards after the catch than expected.
A second-round pick in 2021 out of Florida State, Samuel has 176 tackles and six interceptions in 50 career games (47 starts).
ESPN's Kris Rhim contributed to this report.
