It's not exactly a rarity for teams to let some of their top players hit free agency, and watch them sign with their division rivals. For the Cleveland Browns, they decided to release safety Juan Thornhill for free agency. Thornhill was limited to just 22 games through two seasons with the team, and chose to sign with the AFC North rival Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Browns may have felt like letting Thornhill go was the right move at the time, but training camp suggests otherwise.
Cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. was carted off during training camp practice on Monday. The initial prognosis was bad, considering Emerson had a towel over his head. On Wednesday, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski revealed that Emerson was diagnosed with a torn Achilles and will now miss the entire 2025 season.
Browns HC Kevin Stefanski announced that CB Martin Emerson Jr. has been diagnosed with a torn Achilles. pic.twitter.com/ue2JWxnacc
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 30, 2025
Browns letting Juan Thornhill walk to Steelers backfires after Martin Emerson Jr. injury
Now with Emerson out for the year, the Browns will have to scramble to shore up their secondary before the start of the season. It makes losing a veteran presence like Thornhill sting that much more.
In Thornhill's two years in Cleveland, he recorded 103 combined tackles (72 solo, 31 assisted) and four passes defended. Sure, he didn't put up the numbers like he did with the Kansas City Chiefs, but he was still a solid player for the defensive backfield. Now, he's on a Steelers defensive backfield that also features Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay.
Emerson has been a huge presence on Cleveland's secondary since arriving to the team in 2022 in the third round out of Mississippi State, recording 29 pass breakups and four interceptions through his first two seasons with the team. Last season was a bit of a down year for Emerson, as he recorded 80 tackles (62 solo, 18 assisted), five passes defended, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.
Now, the Browns will have to rely on the likes of Greg Newsome II, Tony Brown II, and Cameron Mitchell to fill in for Emerson's absence. Plus, without Thornhill, the secondary as a whole got a lot weaker. That doesn't bode well, as the Browns are looking to hold their own despite their quarterback uncertainty.