Juan Thornhill spent two years with the Cleveland Browns before he joined the Pittsburgh Steelers this past offseason. He didn’t play well during his time there, and neither did the Browns as a whole. To this day, it’s not a chapter of his career that he likes to discuss.
Now in Pittsburgh, Thornhill is part of a defense that’s been complicated, to say the least. They’ve underperformed the sky-high expectations they set for themselves before the year began, but have still done enough to keep the team at 3-1. Thornhill’s been a part of that impact, according to his defensive coordinator, Teryl Austin.
“Yeah, Juan has done a good job,” Austin said Thursday, via a team-provided transcript. “Sharp, smart player. Really, in terms of what we have in our safety position, he’s really our range safety, the guy that gives us really good range in the back in terms of range and ball skills, the ability to go after a ball. It’s been good. I’m sure this game means a lot.”
Thornhill’s time with the Browns changed the vibe of his career. He previously spent a few years in Kansas City, where he held a key role in a successful defense. Then he went to Cleveland, lost games, and saw his numbers drop.
So far, the start to his Steelers tenure hasn’t been perfect. Against the pass, it hasn’t been pretty for Juan Thornhill. He’s allowed completions on eight of the 10 passes thrown to him, and is allowing a 112.5 passer rating when targeted. The communication issues from last season have rolled into this season, and Thornhill has been a part of them.
However, he was far from the only issue on the defense during those first few weeks. And now, the defense is turning things up a notch across the board. Thornhill and his run defense are a part of that. He’s a very physical safety, one who’s not afraid to fly downhill, like he does here against Minnesota.
Pittsburgh’s dealing with injuries across the secondary. DeShon Elliott and Joey Porter Jr. have missed games, while Jalen Ramsey remains out of practice this week. As a result, Thornhill’s getting a solid amount of snaps. He’s already played 198 on the year, nearly half of the 401 snaps he saw in 2024. He has made 25 tackles, missing just three so far.
It will be interesting to see how Juan Thornhill’s role evolves throughout the season. With DeShon Elliott back and Joey Porter Jr. likely back as well, he may see less time. However, Sunday represents a chance to enact some revenge on his former team, and Austin thinks he’ll be looking forward to it.
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