Ex-Browns safety Juan Thornhill signs new deal with AFC North rival Steelers

Thornhill will look to get his defense back on track with the Steelers

After being cut by the Cleveland Browns as a cap-saving measure, safety Juan Thornhill has signed a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Thornhill will be staying in the AFC North, staying in the division he's called home since arriving with the Browns in 2023.

Thornhill struggled to stay consistent in the secondary this past season, posting just 31 tackles and three passes defended. His production in 2023 and 2024 was a far cry from the type of defense he had provided for the Kansas City Chiefs from 2019 to 2022, where he posted eight picks, 161 tackles, and 20 passes defended.

Thornhill's struggles in 2024 shouldn't continue in 2025

As a whole, the Browns' secondary suffered a backslide in 2024. Outside of cornerback Denzel Ward, the unit struggled to generate takeaways or shut off the water of opposing teams' quarterbacks looking to exploit their flat-footedness. It was a very different defense than what they had displayed back in 2023.

Thornhill will be looking to get back on his feet with the Steelers, who tend to have one of the better defenses in the NFL. At just 29 years old, Thornhill has to have much more left in the tank as a defender in the league, and in such a hard-nosed division.

Thornhill's contract was cut to save Cleveland $3.4 million on their cap sheet. He's been designated as a post-June 1 cut, so that's when his money will officially leave the teams' books. He joined Dalvin Tomlinson and Charley Hughlett as cuts. Now, all three have new teams.