The Minnesota Vikings stood pat at the trade deadline Frankly that's fine, given the options that were out there to fill few legit voids on the roster and the idea of retaining future draft capital in light of last offseason's spending spree.
Now the focus can possibly shift to a short list of available free agents. To that end, NFL insider Jordan Schultz was first to report the Vikings were among three teams who have a visit scheduled with free agent cornerback Asante Samuel Jr.
Schultz added the Carolina Panthers are first on Samuel's itinerary, and the Green Bay Packers are the other team with a visit scheduled as of that initial report.
Update: According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Samuel's itinerary has filled quickly and he will visit the Vikings on Friday.
It'll be a busy couple weeks for Asante Samuel Jr. He's visiting the #Panthers today. After that, it's: #Packers (Thursday), #Vikings (Friday), #49ers (Monday), #Bears (Tuesday) and #Steelers (Wednesday). A thorough, methodical process. https://t.co/RZCbaBKHUd
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 5, 2025
Dating back to late-March, the Vikings and Samuel have been easy to tie together. But his injury situation, as a shoulder/neck issue cost him all but four games last season with the Los Angeles Chargers, has kept him from landing anywhere.
Earlier this week, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported that Samuel has been cleared for football activities after undergoing spinal fusion surgery in April. So now that he's able to play, free agent visits are following for someone who would've been in great demand back in March if he had been healthy.
Before last season's greatly injury-truncated campaign, Samuel played all 17 games for the Chargers in 2022 and 2023. Over his first three seasons after being drafted in 2021, he started 43 games with six interceptions and 35 pass breakups.
Over the 2022 and 2023 campaigns, Samuel's 80.8 PFF coverage grade ranked 12th among 67 qualifying cornerbacks.
Minnesota Vikings visit with Asante Samuel could pay off long-rumored fit
It's entirely possible that Samuel doesn't make it to his visit to the Vikings before signing a contract. But the reporting from Schultz and Rapoport shows he'll be thorough and make multiple visits before deciding on a team to sign with.
The Vikings have lacked suitable cornerback depth for months. Isaiah Rodgers has some ups and downs this season, albeit more good than bad, while Byron Murphy is having a down year compared to his first two in Purple. The free agency flier on Jeff Okudah has not worked out, based on his performance, and most recently, another concussion has sidelined him.
Samuel's visits will be rooted in team doctors being able to check him out for themselves before he signs. If he checks out medically, the Vikings might not let him leave his visit without a contract offer. Beyond that, they may give him the best opportunity to play starter-level snaps over the rest of the season as he lines himself up for a better bite at the free agency apple in March.