Asante Samuel Jr., one of the top free agent cornerbacks of this year's class, is waiting to sign with a new team after undergoing neck surgery in April, sources told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

Samuel, who visited the New Orleans Saints on Monday, has a check-up in early July, after which he will convene with several interested teams.

He plans to return to the field for the 2025 season.

Samuel had been the Los Angeles Chargers' top corner heading into 2024, but his season ended ahead of their Week 6 game against the Denver Broncos when he landed on injured reserve because of a shoulder injury. His four games for the Chargers last season were the fewest he has played in his career.

At the end of the season, Samuel described the injury as a stinger in both shoulders but also a condition he has been dealing with since he was born. He declined to go into specifics but said he wasn't concerned that it would affect his career moving forward.

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