Pending Chargers FA May Have Played His Final Snap in Los Angeles

The Los Angeles Chargers are headed to the postseason and the fanbase is understandably locked into the final two weeks of the regular season and the playoffs. Yet, plenty of teams have already started thinking about their offseason plans. The Chargers will have a few difficult decisions to make in terms of their pending free agents.

One of those decisions is with regard to Asante Samuel Jr. After his breakout 2023 campaign, Samuel had a star-crossed season. He played in the first four games of the season before landing on the injured reserve list, and we have heard very little about him since then. The organization hasn't shared much about the shoulder injury he sustained outside of practice and it increasingly feels like the talented cornerback will not return this season.

This likely means that the four-year defender may have played his final snap for the Chargers. Daniel Popper of The Athletic confirmed this in his latest mailbag.

"I think Samuel has likely played his last snap for the Chargers. He is a free agent after this season. GM Joe Hortiz and his front office prioritize compensatory picks as part of their roster-building strategy. And Samuel would have a market if he is healthy and hits free agency."

- Daniel Popper, The Athletic

It's hard to argue that Samuel's absence hurt the Chargers as they allowed the second-fewest points of any team in the NFL and are a top-five unit in coverage per Pro Football Focus. Rookie defenders Tarheeb Still and Cam Hart have stepped up in his absence, and Kristian Fulton is having a nice season.

Samuel is a good player with a lot of his prime seasons ahead of him but the Chargers are in no desperate need to break the bank for him. Using their resources on the other end of the field will benefit them in the long run.

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