Ex-Browns Defender Throws More Shade After Departure

Juan Thornhill continues to throw shade at the Cleveland Browns following his departure this offseason.

After being released by the Browns, Thornhill inked a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers in March. He signed a three-year contract with the Browns in 2023, with Cleveland banking on his championship experience from his four-year stint with the Kansas City Chiefs, where he won two Super Bowls.

However, Thornhill’s tenure in Cleveland fell short of expectations, largely due to injuries that hampered his availability and effectiveness. Over two seasons, Thornhill appeared in 22 games, recording 93 total tackles (63 solo), four passes defended, and no interceptions.

The injuries not only limited his impact on the field but also led to him losing his grip on a starting role by the end of the 2024 season. The Browns released Thornhill in February, cutting his tenure in Cleveland short and saving $3.4 million in salary cap space.

Juan Thornhill: ‘Cleveland People Tried to Bash My Name’

Thornhill has been thrust into a significant role in the Steelers’ secondary. Pittsburgh traded All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Miami Dolphins, making Thornhill their starting free safety.

Thornhill doesn’t believe he played poorly during his time in Cleveland, despite outside criticism. In his view, the negativity was more about people trying to “bash” his name than a reflection of his actual performance.

“You can’t read into what the media is saying about me,” Thornhill told The Athletic. “Because if you sit back and you watch the film of what I did in Cleveland, I had a lot of good plays. Some of the Cleveland people just tried to bash my name a little bit. If you sit there and really watch the film, I made a lot of plays and was very productive in that defense.”

Juan Thornhill Admits He Was Exausted in Viral Browns Clip

The Browns finished with a 3-14 record last season. There were multiple reasons why Cleveland stumbled but Thornhill made himself an easy target at times.

He was called out for his effort during a loss to the Saints, jogging while chasing down a long touchdown by Marquez Valdes-Scantling. The clip spawned a viral “Jog Thornhill” nickname.

“It did bother me,” Thornhill said. “Because that’s not me as a player. They saw that one clip of me, and they (thought of me) as a player that doesn’t play hard for his team. But, yeah, it was one clip. I was exhausted.”

Thornhill previously said that he’s excited to see the Browns twice per year as part of their AFC North rivalry. The sides will meet for the first time on October 12 and then again on December 28.

Grant Delpit is locked in as the strong safety for the Browns. Ronnie Hickman will be in the mix for playing time, as well as Damontae Kazee and Rayshawn Jenkins. The Browns are looking for Hickman — signed as an undrafted free agent in 2023 — to take the next step.

“We’re surrounding him with some veteran players,” Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz said. “Brought Rayshawn in, brought Kazee in, have Grant returning. We’re a safety-heavy team. We run a lot of three-safety system, but we need Ronnie to really bring it all together.”