Former Pittsburgh Steelers safety Damontae Kazee has signed a one-year deal with the Cleveland Browns. The Steelers signed former Browns safety Juan Thornhill to replace Kazee as the third safety, and now the Browns are signing Kazee to replace Thornhill.
Thornhill, 29, will turn 30 this season, and has spent the last two seasons with the Browns after coming over from the Kansas City Chiefs.
Thornhill played most of his time as a single-high safety with the Browns. He will play that more so with the Steelers in their three safety packages as well. It will allow Minkah Fitzpatrick to move around the formation.
Meanwhile, Kazee enters his ninth season in the NFL, and joins his fourth team. A fifth-round pick out of San Diego State in the 2017 NFL Draft, Kazee has played for the Atlanta Falcons and Dallas Cowboys in addition to the Steelers and Browns. He spent three seasons with the Steelers from 2022 to 2024.
Kazee will turn 32 in June, and has dealt with some major injuries in his career, but has remained healthy over the last two seasons. In 15 games, Kazee made one interception and 31 tackles while coming in on those three safety packages.