Should the Chargers extend CB Asante Samuel Jr. ASAP?

The Chargers are entering the 2024 season with a shallow cornerback room headlined by 2021 second-round pick Asante Samuel Jr. The Florida State alum has been the team’s CB1 for the better part of the past three seasons while being one of the most-consistent players in the room that saw some questionable stretches from Michael Davis, on top of the JC Jackson debacle.

Samuel has done admirably being the backbone of this group. So much so that some believe he should be in line for an extension as soon as this current offseason. ESPN’s Aaron Schatz actually believes inking Samuel to a new deal should be the last cherry on top of what has been a pretty good offseason for the Bolts.

“Samuel’s advanced charting metrics from last year are a bit concerning. He was one of the least-targeted starting cornerbacks in the NFL, but he allowed a high success rate in coverage with 9.7 yards per pass, which ranked near the bottom of the league. Nonetheless, the numbers were much better in 2022, and cornerback stats are notoriously inconsistent from year to year. Samuel is generally regarded as a talented young cornerback, and you don’t want to let a player like that get to free agency. His contract ends after 2024, so the Chargers need to wrap him up.”

Schatz is right here. Samuel had a down 2023 season but it’s tough to hold much weight in a season where just about everyone regressed to some degree. We’ve seen firsthand the ability that Samuel has when he’s on his game. He’s a ballhawk and that also comes with the penalties associated with an aggressive style of play. But I agree, the Chargers need to lock down a player at a premium position just out of sheer caution in case some of the other guys in the room end up not working out for the long haul

Samuel broke out early as a rookie with a pair of Pepsi Defensive Rookie of the Week honors following several strong performances. He ended the 2021 season with 11 pass breakups and a pair of interceptions. He ended with those exact numbers again in 2022 before setting a new career high with 13 PBUs in 2023. Coincidentally, he’s notched exactly two picks per year since entering the league. His 35 pass breakups are good for 14th in the NFL over that span, as well.

So go ahead and give is your thoughts. Do you agree with Schatz that the Chargers should extend Samuel as soon as this offseason? Do you disagree? Let us know below!