Ian Rapoport reports that the Pittsburgh Steelers have agreed to terms with free-agent safety Juan Thornhill on a one-year deal. The intricacies of the contract have not yet been reported. Thornhill spent the last two seasons with the Cleveland Browns, playing in just 22 games after missing time with a nagging calf injury. The 29-year-old will join his third squad after the Kansas City Chiefs took him in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Despite missing time over the last two years, the Virginia product is a viable option in the secondary, and he recorded 71 tackles, one sack, and three interceptions in his most recent full season (2022). He's expected to compete with DeShon Elliott for a chance to play alongside incumbent starter Minkah Fitzpatrick.
Free-agent safety Juan Thornhill will visit with the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday, sources told FOX Sports' Jordan Schultz. The six-year veteran spent the last two years with the Cleveland Browns and has eight career interceptions in 74 NFL starts. Signing Thornhill would help make up for the loss of Talanoa Hufanga, who signed with the Denver Broncos as a free agent. The 29-year-old Thornhill was drafted in the second round (63rd overall) by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2019 out of Virginia, and he spent the first four years of his career there. He played in 11 games in each of the last two years with the Browns while recording a total of 103 tackles (72 solo) and four pass breakups. Because he played in only 22 games in his two seasons with the Browns, Thornhill was a salary cap casualty as a post-June 1 cut.
NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reports that the Cleveland Browns are releasing veteran safety Juan Thornhill, according to sources. After meeting in recent days, both sides agreed that the best decision was to release Thornhill so that he'll have a few weeks of a head start on free agency this offseason. The 29-year-old had one year and $7 million left on his deal with Cleveland. He will be designated as a post-June 1 cut and will save the Browns $3.2 million on the 2025 salary cap. It's not a surprising move, as Thornhill only played in 11 games in each of his two seasons after signing a three-year, $21 million deal before the 2023 campaign. He had become a rotational player late last season and accumulated 103 tackles (72 solo), no interceptions and four pass breakups in 22 starts for the Browns in his two seasons. Thornhill spent his first four years with the Chiefs after they took him in the second round in 2019.
Juan Thornhill Questionable For Outing Against Pittsburgh
Cleveland Browns defensive back Juan Thornhill (calf) is questionable for his team's divisional clash against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The 29-year-old injured his calf in the two franchises' last meeting -- the snow game in Week 12 -- and missed last week's outing against the Denver Broncos. After logging a DNP on Wednesday, the sixth-year veteran was upgraded to limited over the ensuing two days and carries a questionable designation into the weekend. Despite appearing in just six games this year, Thornhill is Cleveland's eighth-leading tackler. If he can't play, Ronnie Hickman will continue to see an uptick in snaps, while DB D'Anthony Bell could see a bump in playing time as well.
The Cleveland Browns have signed free-agent safety Juan Thornhill on Wednesday. The two sides have agreed to a three-year, $21 million contract. The 27-year-old leaves the Kansas City Chiefs after being a reliable contributor for the past four seasons. Thornhill is a proven playmaker and a useful option against the run. This isn't the most flashy signing in free agency, but certainly a smart move by the Browns. Thornhill will be an upgrade to this Browns secondary heading into 2023.
Kansas City Chiefs safety Juan Thornhill is healthy for perhaps the first time since he tore the ACL in his left knee as a rookie in 2019, and he was impressive during offseason workouts. With Tyrann Mathieu now gone, the Chiefs will ask Thornhill to take on a bigger role in their secondary. "I'm committed to doing that," Thornhill said. Those are big shoes to fill, but the 26-year-old from Virginia is up to the task after producing a career-high 64 tackles (43 solo), one interception, three passes defensed, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery in 17 games (12 starts) in his third season with KC in 2021. Thornhill has 163 total tackles (118) in his three NFL seasons, and he could easily force his way onto the IDP radar in a bigger role this year.
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