Jon Gruden believes he knows why the Pittsburgh Steelers traded Joey Porter Jr., and it begins and ends with Asante Samuel Jr.

According to Gruden, Samuel's emergence as a high-level cornerback for the Steelers all but made Porter expendable.

“If you ask yourself why the Steelers trade Joey Porter, it’s because of this guy. Asante Samuel," Gruden said via Blitzburgh. "The ex-Charger, he had like a spinal fusion operation in 2025. Credit to him, great offseason, one-year $4 million contract. You watch him, he’s got seven PBUs, he’s playing with great confidence, and he has vision on the quarterback a lot just like his dad. Guy has a lot of ball skills and he ain’t afraid to pull the trigger.”

Samuel, acquired by the Chargers in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft, played his first four seasons with Los Angeles before departing the team in free agency and undergoing spinal fusion surgery in April 2025. He was cleared to resume football activities in November and signed with the Steelers shortly after.

Samuel stepped up in a huge way with Porter sidelined during training camp, preseason, and the Steelers' first few games of the season. As Gruden pointed out, this may have made it far easier for the Steelers to move on from Porter.

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