Steelers A to Z: Opportunities await in secondary for Juan Thornhill after Minkah Fitzpatrick trade

Editor’s note: From now until reporting day to training camp at Saint Vincent College, TribLive is running through the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 90-man roster, looking at each player and assessing his outlook for the 2025 season. The breakdown will run in alphabetical order with at least two players each day between June 12 and July 23. Contract data courtesy spotrac.com.

S JUAN THORNHILL

Experience/age: Seventh season, 29 years old

Contract status: $3 million cap hit, will be unrestricted free agent in 2026

The past: Thornhill became a free agent in February when the Cleveland Browns cut him two years into a three-year, $21 million contract. The Steelers signed the veteran safety to a one-year contract March 17.

Thornhill is coming off his worst NFL season. He played a career-low 57% of the defensive snaps for the Browns and missed six games for the second year in a row. In both seasons, Thornhill was bothered by a calf injury. Last year, the injury was severe enough for Thornhill to be placed on injured reserve.

Thornhill became a lightning rod of fan criticism when it appeared he didn’t run hard on a long touchdown reception by New Orleans receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling. It earned him the nickname “Jog” Thornhill.

Thornhill spent his first four seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, and he is a two-time Super Bowl champion, although he was a starter in just one of those championship games. He totaled eight interceptions and 20 pass breakups with the Chiefs but had no interceptions and just four passes defensed during his two seasons in Cleveland.

Thornhill was the Chiefs’ second-round pick in 2019, and he was named to the NFL All-Rookie Team that season.

Jog thornhill after being cut by the Steelers too????pic.twitter.com/xPdqKmB2W6

— Dillion Gabriel over Social Media Sanders (@pfmrorl) May 6, 2025

2025 outlook: Thornhill will get a fresh start — and perhaps an increased role — with the Steelers. When he was signed, Thornhill was expected to replace Damontae Kazee as the No. 3 safety. But in late June, the Steelers traded free safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to Miami, potentially opening a starting job in the secondary.

The Steelers got back All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey in the trade, and Ramsey could figure into the safety mix while also contributing in the slot in addition to outside corner. A strong training camp for Thornhill could prove that he deserves to be on the field more frequently than a sub-package safety.

DeShon Elliott will man the other safety position.