The Pittsburgh Steelers are in the middle of a very important offseason. Most of Steeler Nation expected, or at least hoped, the team would spend significant money on multiple high profile free agents during this time. That has not been the case thus far. Besides a blockbuster trade that happened just prior to the start of free agency that resulted in the Steelers acquiring DK Metcalf, most of the moves the Steelers have made have resembled moves of the previous regime.
These signings are mostly lower budget deals that won’t break the bank, but the team often hopes the player outperforms his salary. These deals have allowed the team to occasionally retain their internal elite talent, but limits the improvement some would expect year over year. This season, one of those players that the Steelers hope outperforms their contract is safety Juan Thornhill, who the Steelers signed to a one-year deal earlier in free agency.
Thornhill will likely be the replacement for Damontae Kazee, who has been with the Steelers for the last three seasons, but is currently a free agent and not expected to be re-signed. While meeting with the media this week, Head Coach Mike Tomlin was asked about Thornhill and his role within the defense alongside starters Minkah Fitzpatrick and DeShon Elliott.
"We're certainly going to mix that up," Tomlin said when asked about Thornhill's role as the third safety. "We're very familiar with Juan and his talents because we've competed against him, and so that's going to be a fun endeavor to figure out how to divide the labor up and that will certainly change from time to time."
Signing Thornhill gives the Steelers three safeties capable of performing at a high level at any given time and they all have their strengths. Thornhill operates better as a free safety roaming the backend of the defense, however he has documented issues with his tackling over the last couple seasons. Nonetheless, he should be a good complement to the group with Elliott excelling more towards the line of scrimmage.
Thornhill will settle more into his role as training camp and the season start to roll on in, but at least early on, Tomlin expects each of Fitzpatrick, Elliott, and Thornhill to be able to swap in and out seamlessly.
"We expect those guys be interchangeable pieces and really provide a challenge for the offenses that we compete against."
In today’s NFL, it is definitely important to have depth in the secondary that is capable of moving around and playing different positions. This is especially true playing in the AFC, as well as the AFC North, with the majority of the top quarterbacks and passing attacks residing in the Steelers' conference.
Thornhill was originally drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the second round and started four years for them while playing at an above average level. He recorded 8 interceptions while on the Chiefs, and won two Super Bowls with the team. That starting experience and playmaking on the backend is likely what the Steelers hope he will bring to Pittsburgh, as after leaving Kansas City, Thornhill spent two years with the Cleveland Browns where his performance suffered, partially due to injuries.
Steelers' Defense Still Has Holes To Fill
There's no surprise, the Steelers are currently expected to have the highest paid defense in 2025 again, and there are still some significant concerns on that side of the ball that the team needs to find answers for. The biggest need is on the defensive line, where they recently released Larry Ogunjobi and don't appear to have a clear plan in place to replace him. Many think they will turn to the 2025 NFL Draft, likely in the first round, but that isn't necessarily the safest bet.
The secondary did add Darius Slay this offseason, but the group still lacks the needed depth and it isn't clear who will be the team's starting slot corner either. This is a position group that the Steelers have typically buttoned up with some veterans on their final contracts the last several years, which they did again by signing Slay -- but the group still needs some attention.
