The Cleveland Browns made multiple changes on both sides of the ball in the offseason after a disastrous 2024 season.
The Browns signed multiple veteran free-agent defenders to one or two-year deals in hopes of getting that unit back on track. They also reshuffled their QB room, bringing in three new faces and a familiar face in Joe Flacco.
At the same time, Cleveland said goodbye to several players at the start of free agency, which included veteran safety Juan Thornhill. Thornhill didn’t have the best time in Cleveland, as he spent two years with the organization.
The Browns cut ties with the veteran safety, designating him as a post-June 1 release. But it surprisingly didn’t take long for him to find his next opportunity. Days later, the former Browns defender signed a one-year, $3 million contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Steelers Might Regret Signing Former Browns Safety Juan Thornhill
At the time, some within the Browns fanbase weren’t losing sleep about Thornhill joining the Steelers, as he would likely be a backup at best heading into this season.
Fast forward months later, and Thornhill could be starting this season after the Steelers traded playmaking safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Miami Dolphins in the blockbuster Jalen Ramsey deal.
Thornhill, as a starter, might not be good for the Steelers’ secondary as he hasn’t played at least 16 games since 2022 with the Kansas City Chiefs. With the Browns, the veteran defensive back played 22 total games in two years.
In addition to Thornhill’s durability, he was also a liability in pass coverage with the Browns. Last season, Thornhill had a career-worst 141.7 pass rating allowed when targeted and allowed three touchdowns.
In his first year with the Browns, the veteran defender had a 117.1 pass rating allowed, which still isn’t great. Now, the saving grace for Thornhill could be that he’s playing behind Darius Slay, Jalen Ramsey, and Joey Porter Jr.
However, that won’t stop teams from taking shots deep and trying to go after the ex-Browns safety in coverage. You've got to think that whoever starts at QB for the Browns will try to test their luck against Thornhill.
Nonetheless, if things don’t start well in Pittsburgh, it will be interesting to see how Thornhill reacts. This Steelers team is built to go all-in for one year, which could be good or a recipe for disaster.
Last season, Browns fans called out Thornhill for not playing hard in Cleveland’s Week 11 blowout loss to the New Orleans Saints. Now, to his credit, the veteran defensive back took responsibility for his actions.
However, that type of play won’t cut it in Pittsburgh, especially with a head coach like Mike Tomlin. The former Brown safety has a chance to rebuild his value in Pittsburgh or tank it, depending on how he plays in 2025.