Asante Samuel was the corner they didn’t wish to pay. Despite setting a postseason playmaking standard for the Patriots with his league-leading interceptions (16 for the past 2 years), Asante Samuel entered free agency in 2008 with minimal resistance from the team he led to two championships. In addition, when his next team, the Eagles, signed Pro Bowl cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha for five years, Samuel was disheartened. “They drafted me in the fourth round, then let me walk after I gave ’em everything,” he said two years later in a Boston radio interview, the sting of departure still fresh. And years later, not much has changed.

Even after four straight Pro Bowl seasons and 22 interceptions over his five years in New England, Samuel’s legacy remained polarizing, lauded by fans and debated by decision-makers. In a recent all-time value-based ranking of cornerbacks by the NFL. Samuel came in last among the top five. The ranking, which balanced draft position against career production, ranked names such as Richard Sherman, Darrelle Revis, and Charles Tillman higher than the former Patriot. With 51 career interceptions, four Pro Bowls, and two Super Bowl rings, he still just made the cut, that too only after substantial wavering on the part of the list’s author.

Why? It’s not because he lacks talent. It’s all about perception. The piece freely acknowledged that Samuel’s career was less complete than those of other players on the list. Referencing that much of his success occurred after New England. Hinting that he may not have the physicality of his contemporaries. As per the NFL analyst, the only reason there was a bit of hesitation adding him to this list was because most of that success didn’t happen in New England, where he started. The Patriots let him go in free agency and only got a compensatory pick back, which turned into Tyrone McKenzie, a player who never even played a single game for them. Well, some feelings, apparently, are still unable to overcome what Samuel wasn’t.

Samuel might not have been the most well-rounded corner on this list, and less than half of his career happened with the Pats, but the numbers don’t lie. Since he entered the league in 2003, only legends like Ed Reed and Charles Woodson have more picks than him. Even then, he turned games upside down. In 2006 and 2007, he may have been the league’s most intimidating ballhawk.

In the playoffs alone, he brought back three interceptions for touchdowns in five games. His instincts and anticipation were his hallmarks. Yet are the very characteristics too often labeled as risky in film-room reviews. So, all in all, it isn’t the first time Samuel’s influence has been quietly played down. But what’s worse is: now, the same weird silence seems to be following his son too.

A cloud over the Asante Samuel name?

While Asante Samuel is grappling with legacy controversies, his son, Asante Samuel Jr., is dealing with a more immediate uncertainty. Having had a promising beginning to his NFL career with the Los Angeles Chargers, the younger Samuel lingers unsigned in free agency well into the offseason. With his starting experience and playoff resume, his not being on an NFL roster is beginning to create doubts.

This is not a tale of a falling vet or a rough-around-the-edges rookie. Samuel Jr. began 38 games over three years, intercepted four passes (combined), and even had a three-pick postseason in 2023. However, with those glimpses of elite upside, no team has been willing to invest. Some have speculated fitness problems; others mention inconsistency. But for a league that is corner-hungry, it is surprising that a still-young, starting-quality CB with pedigree and playoff experience hasn’t even been invited in for workouts.

True enough, the Sr Samuel’s NFL image is self-assured, outspoken, and occasionally confrontational. It has invited its share of detractors. His constant criticism of NFL politics and coaching moves, particularly on Twitter, has become front-page news. Although there is no direct link between his public persona and his son’s current status limbo, some can’t help but suspect that the Samuel name now comes with unconscious baggage.

Nevertheless, if Jr. has learned anything from his dad, it’s letting his play do the talking. And so far, that play is worth a second glance. Samuel Jr.’s numbers, particularly in zone-dominant systems, have been steady. His instincts reflect the same ball following skill that characterized his father’s moves. With training camps opening shortly, the door isn’t closed. But each week that goes by, the urgency piles on. And for the Samuels, both father and son, the moment feels long past due.

For Sr. Samuel, coming in fifth barely on a list that contained players selected much higher should have been a victory. He was, after all, a fourth-round draft choice who accumulated more interceptions than Revis, more pick-sixes than Sherman, and one of the greatest postseason résumés of his era. But just as it did when he played, his achievements come with an asterisk.

For the younger Samuel, the test is different but no less recognizable. He isn’t being underestimated. He’s being disregarded altogether. And as free agency lingers on, the burden of legacy becomes more weighty, not because it cannot be achieved. But because it could be the very thing shrouding his future.