Acme Packing Company
According to The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman, the Green Bay Packers remain interested in signing free-agent cornerback Asante Samuel Jr., one of the top free agents in last spring’s class who has yet to sign with a team. Samuel has recently been cleared after undergoing a spine fusion this offseason, after playing just four games for the Los Angeles Chargers in 2024.
Based on sources I’ve talked to, here’s the scenario. The Packers wanted to have Samuel on a visit, prior to him being cleared for action, in an effort to recruit him. Samuel’s camp told Green Bay that any visit would have to wait until after the trade deadline, as Samuel is hoping to land with a team where he can start immediately, so that he can build back his on-field reputation in time for the 2026 free agent market. Remember, Samuel is coming off his rookie contract, so his career earnings are $7.2 million at the moment. His next multi-year deal will likely be where he receives the most money in his NFL career, if all goes well in 2025.
Since the Packers — and others — were told to wait, Green Bay didn’t make a move at the trade deadline for a cornerback, despite Nate Hobbs going down with an injury. Currently, Green Bay only has two healthy cornerbacks on the team who have ever played NFL regular-season snaps on defense: Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine.
The addition of Samuel would certainly complicate the Packers’ cornerback room. At any given time, two of Nixon, Valentine, Hobbs or Samuel will not be playing outside cornerback, a position all of them seem to want to be starting at long-term. So far, the team’s top coverage player has been Valentine, followed by Nixon — and his penalties — and then Hobbs.
Would Green Bay actually make a move that would displace Hobbs to being the team’s CB4 after paying him $48 million this offseason? Would they bench Nixon, who has been vocal about wanting to be a CB1? Would they sit Valentine again? It would certainly show a high level of urgency.
The Packers could easily fit Samuel on the 48-man gameday roster, from just a bodies perspective. Right now, Green Bay is regularly dressing second-year cornerback Kamal Hadden, a player who has just played five special teams snaps for the team over eight games. Right now, he’s essentially an emergency defender who has played poorly in the limited special teams reps that he’s received. If Samuel were added to the team, that would likely close a door for Hadden’s time on the gameday roster and likely on the 53-man roster.
On the recruitment front, the Packers should have some help drawing Samuel’s attention. Beyond their shaky cornerback room, which should be a positive in Samuel’s book, Green Bay’s current passing game coordinator is Derrick Ansley.
Ansley came to the Packers after a stint as the Chargers’ defensive backs coach and defensive coordinator under head coach Brandon Staley. He worked with...
