With the Browns reporting to mandatory minicamp this week, veterans who had skipped the majority of voluntary OTA sessions made their presence known in their first workouts this year.
For several athletes, the practice was an opportunity to showcase their abilities after injuries during the 2023 season prematurely ended their year.
Cleveland safety Juan Thornhill is among that group as he suffered a calf injury that required him to sit five of the final eight games last season.
After his first practice during the mandatory session, Thornhill took to Twitter to make a strong statement about his condition after last season’s frustrating conclusion.
“Back and Better,” Thornhill captioned a video he re-posted from the official Browns’ Twitter page.
Back and Better 🫡 https://t.co/2ck9aARxpr
— The Chosen Juan👑🙇🏽♂️ (@Juan_Thornhill) June 11, 2024
In the video, Thornhill runs down the field before turning around, catches a pass, and runs back to his original position.
After the team’s 45-14 loss to Houston in the playoffs, Thornhill told The Plain Dealer’s Ashley Bastock he planned to spend the offseason working on his flexibility and speed, returning this season in better condition than before.
Thornhill was a major acquisition for the Browns during the 2023 offseason as the team signed the former Kansas City Chief to a three-year, $21 million deal that runs through 2025.
In 11 games last year, Thornhill had 54 tackles and one pass deflection, one of his worst seasons during his professional career.
As a pro, Thornhill has started 63 of the 76 contests over the past five years.
Thornhill has 288 tackles, 21 pass deflections, and eight interceptions in his five-year NFL career.
