Foxborough, MA — November 7, 2025 — Asante Samuel Jr., son of Patriots legend Asante Samuel Sr., made a sharp turn in his comeback from injury: he declined a practice-squad offer from the

New York Jets — the Patriots’ bitter rival — and flew to Foxborough for a private workout with the New England Patriots.

Team sources say the Patriots tracked Samuel Jr.’s rehab throughout the summer following his spinal-fusion surgery in April. He was fully cleared to play in late October and immediately drew multiple opportunities, with the Jets reportedly first to propose a deal.

Samuel Jr. said no. “I’m not returning to the NFL to be a placeholder. I want to build something — a legacy. My father became a legend because he never accepted a supporting role. Neither will I,” he told a source close to him.

The decision reverberates through the AFC East. Spurning the Green and White to audition in Foxborough adds fresh edge to a rivalry defined by decades of animosity and signals where Samuel Jr. believes his game can peak.

The Patriots see a clean schematic fit: New England’s defense prizes ball skills, route recognition, disguised coverages, and timely takeaways — the very traits that made Samuel Jr. a postseason headline in 2022, when he intercepted three passes in the first half of a Wild Card game against Jacksonville.

New England also offers the stage Samuel Jr. covets: January football in a system that lets corners hunt the ball. “New England is where takeaways change championships,” he said privately. “If I want the

Samuel name mentioned with the greats, I need a place that believes in that.”

If the Patriots sign him, he won’t just be the son of a Patriots legend — he’ll be writing his own chapter in Foxborough, with a chance to face the rival he just rejected.

The looming question for New England is whether they see a future Hall-of-Fame-caliber corner in Samuel Jr., or if this is simply the first bold step out of his father’s shadow.