The Kansas City Chiefs were on top of the football world back in 2022. While much has changed since then, the Chiefs had two Super Bowls under their belt with more to come. However, as Brett Veach knows better than most, winning at the highest level comes with tough decisions. One of those came in the form of safety Juan Thornhill, a Chiefs draft pick who was a vital piece of those Super Bowl teams. Unfortunately for Thornhill, he was not in Kansas City's long-term plans.
The former Kansas City second-round pick cashed in come MLB free agency, signing a three-year deal with the Cleveland Browns back in 2023. Yet, Thornhill wasn't the same player once he signed on the dotted line. Thornhill's time in Cleveland started on a high note, but quickly went downhill due to injuries and a perceived lack of effort. Just last season, Thornhill apologized to fans for jogging on a long New Orleans Saints touchdown. There was no coming back from that, as the Browns terminated Thornhill's contract this offseason.
"First of all, great individual," Executive Vice President of Football Operations and General Manager Andrew Berry said at the time. "Thought he played well when he was on the field. But the big thing was just availability. A guy that had been pretty durable during his time in Kansas City but just had a really tough time with the calf injuries throughout his time with us. He'll go on and play well and catch on, but unfortunately just didn't work out with us."
Juan Thornhill isn't the same player he once was with the Chiefs
While Berry kept things classy, Thornhill did not. He signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers – the Browns rival – and chirped back at Cleveland when they signed his replacement. Just this past week, the Browns have signed former Steelers safety Damontae Kazee, as well as former Seahawks defensive back Rayshawn Jenkins.
In response, Thornhill tweeted that the Browns moves were 'personal'. While every athlete goes to bizarre lengths for personal motivation, this one is easily debunked. Should the Browns have just...left the roster spot vacant? What's the ideal alternative for someone like Thornhill?
Thornhill is far from the player he once was in Kansas City, not that it's entirely his fault. He's been dealt a bad hand with injuries, and will hope to restore some of his stock with the Steelers, where he should serve as a depth piece behind Minkah Fitzpatrick and DeShon Elliott.