New England Patriots cornerback Asante Samuel ended his holdout from the team today and will report to practice after missing all of training camp and three pre-season games. Samuel was designated with the Franchise Tag after last year, which left him with a one-year deal worth $7.79 million for the upcoming season. However, Samuel held out hoping that he could land a lucrative contract extension with guaranteed money.
Kansas City Chiefs running back Larry Johnson also held out during training camp, although he was not constrained by the franchise tag. The holdout worked in Johnson’s favor when he signed a five-year $43.25 million contract extension with $19 million in guaranteed money. Samuel was not as lucky with the Patriots, who have been known to stick to their guns in situations like these. Deion Branch was able to get out of New England last year, but he was a rare exception.
Many are curious why Samuel has agreed to sign the franchise offer since he received no assurance from the Patriots that they won’t use the tag on him again after this year. Though he is considered an above-average cornerback, he is not included in the elite field with Champ Bailey and Charles Woodson. A very weird situation and one where Samuel clearly looks like he is accepting defeat than anything else.