It’s been more than 13 months since he’s played in a game and less than seven months since he underwent a surgical procedure on his spine.

It would be natural for teams and fans to assume that Asante Samuel Jr. — the newest Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback — is not at 100%. Just after taking part in his first practice with the team, Samuel corroborated that he’s not at 100% of the player he was in the past when he was a four-year NFL starter.

Samuel’s health, he said, is better than that.

“I feel great — it’s the healthiest I’ve ever been,” Samuel said Wednesday from UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. “Because I’ve been dealing with (his neck injury), and (now) I’ve got it fixed. So, now I feel good.”

— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) November 12, 2025

Samuel officially signed to the Steelers practice squad Wednesday morning after weeks of meetings and workouts with other teams following April spinal fusion surgery (coincidentally, performed in Pittsburgh).

There are no guarantees of when he will appear in a game for the Steelers, but there does appear there will be a need for a cornerback as soon as Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Though Samuel hasn’t been given any assurances to that and would only speak in generalities, he did answer in the affirmative that he’s ready to play if called upon.

“It’s just day by day,” said the 5-foot-10, 180-pound Samuel, a veteran of four NFL seasons and 50 games. “I’m trying to maximize every day and do whatever the coach is telling me and just get better every day.”

Samuel, who turned 26 last month, suffered what was initially termed a shoulder injury during a Week 4 game last season while playing for the Los Angeles Chargers. A second-round pick in 2021, Samuel said Wednesday that his ailment had plagued him long before September 2024.

On Wednesday, Samuel went through a practice for the first time since that most recent game.

“It meant the world to me,” Samuel said, “just being out there, putting on the helmet, putting on cleats, going at it, competing with other guys that’s trying to accomplish the same goal as me — and that’s trying to win. At the end of the day, that’s all it’s about, winning, and I know that’s all it’s about over here — winning. It’s a winning culture, and I wanted to be a part of that.”

The Steelers are without a pair of their season-opening starting cornerbacks in Darius Slay and Jalen Ramsey — the former because he is in concussion protocol, the latter because he’s been moved to safety. That leaves Joey Porter Jr., Brandin Echols and James Pierre as cornerbacks on the 53-man roster four days before a game against NFL receiving leader Ja’Marr Chase and the pass-happy Bengals.

Before practice Wednesday, Echols said he predicted Samuel would be a “major factor” in the composition of the secondary going forward.

“I can’t wait to see him ball,” Echols said.

Samuel has mostly played outside cornerback throughout his career. The Steelers finished Sunday’s loss to the Chargers with Porter and Pierre on the outside and the versatile Echols in the slot. Undrafted rookie Daryl Porter and second-year pro D’Shawn Jamison join Samuel as cornerbacks on the practice squad.

Depending on how Samuel looks physically, how quickly he picks up the system and how the special teams division of labor shakes out, it’s not out of the question Samuel could be in uniform for a game soon.

“Just come in and jump on the moving train,” Pierre said of what he expects from Samuel, a fellow south Florida native. “Like ‘Coach T’ (Mike Tomlin) says, just jump on the moving train, stick your hand in the pile. We know what he can do, so just help us out.”

The son of a former All-Pro cornerback and two-time Super Bowl champion, the younger Samuel acknowledged it was difficult to endure surgery and the uncertainty of where he might end up signing.

“But it was God’s plan,” Samuel said, “and everything happens for a reason. I’m glad I ended up here. I’m glad everything worked out to be here. I’m blessed to be here with great coaches and great teammates.”

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