Browns' Juan Thornhill: Cleared for Monday Night Football
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Thornhill (calf) is active for Monday's matchup against the Steelers.
Thornhill missed the season opener due to a calf injury and was listed as questionable for Week 2. The 2019 second-round pick will be available to make his Browns debut Monday night, but it's unclear how big of a role he'll have right away. However, eventually, Thornhill should take over as a full-time starter.
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Browns' Juan Thornhill: Gets questionable tag
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Thornhill (calf) is listed as questionable for Monday's matchup with the Steelers, Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports.
Thornhill is in danger of missing his second straight game to start the season. If he is is ultimately unable to go, Rodney McLeod would presumably be in line to fill in at free safety.
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Browns' Juan Thornhill: Still recovering from injury
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Thornhill (calf) did not practice Thursday, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.
Thornhill is being considered day-to-day, according to head coach Kevin Stefanski. The Virginia product was unable to play Week 1 against the Bengals; however, it sounds like he may be able to return to the practice field soon. Even if he does, though, the fourth-year pro may still not be ready to suit up Monday against the Steelers.
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Browns' Juan Thornhill: Questionable for Week 1
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Thornhill (calf) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Bengals, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Thornhill was limited Wednesday before missing practice Thursday, so he sounds truly questionable to be out there for Week 1. Rodney McLeod would be next up at safety alongside Grant Delpit if Thornhill can't play.
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Browns' Juan Thornhill: Inks deal with Cleveland
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The Browns agreed to terms with Thornhill on a three-year contract Wednesday, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Thornhill will change locales coming off his career-best campaign with the Chiefs in 2022, during which he logged 71 tackles, nine pass breakups, three interceptions and a sack over 16 regular-season games. In Cleveland, Thornhill is expected to immediately step in as the Browns' starting free safety alongside Grant Delpit, as the team also transitions to new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz this coming season.
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Chiefs' Juan Thornhill: Makes all-around impact Week 14
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Thornhill posted seven tackles (five solo), including one sack, and a pass defended in Sunday's 34-28 victory over the Broncos.
Thornhill contributed one of his team' six sacks in this impressive outing for the Kansas City defense. The fourth-year safety also logged two more tackles against Denver quarterback Russell Wilson, who was forced out with a concussion early in the fourth quarter. Thornhill has now played every defensive snap since returning from his one-game hiatus due to a calf injury, totaling 17 tackles over these two contests. Expect him to continue slotting in as one of the Chiefs' top defenders Week 15 in Houston.
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Chiefs' Juan Thornhill: 10 stops in return
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Thornhill compiled 10 tackles (six solo) in Sunday's 27-24 defeat against the Bengals.
Thornhill returned to his every-down role following a one-game absence with a calf injury. As a result, the safety finished with the Chiefs' second-most tackles behind prolific linebacker Nick Bolton (16). Thornhill also had what would have been his second interception of the season wiped away due to a defensive pass interference penalty by cornerback Trent McDuffie on the opening series of the game. Nevertheless, Thornhill still ranks second on the team in passes defended (six) this season, and he should play a prominent role in stopping the Broncos' paltry pass offense Week 14.
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Chiefs' Juan Thornhill: Notches first INT of 2021
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Thornhill recorded six tackles (four solo) and his first interception of the season Sunday versus the Broncos.
Thornhill's rookie season drew some buzz thanks to a trio of interceptions and a promising tackle total (58). While he has just one interception in each of the last two seasons -- 2021 still has some time for him to add to it -- Thornhill seems to be trending up in his tackle count. If he maintains his current pace, the third-year safety would finish out the season with a career-best of about 64 tackles.
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Chiefs' Juan Thornhill: Moving into starting role
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The Chiefs plan to start Thornhill at free safety in Sunday's game in Washington ahead of Daniel Sorensen, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Perhaps no player in the Chiefs' much-maligned defense has struggled as much as Sorensen, who Pro Football Focus ranks as its 83rd safety among the 85 players at the position who have played 100-plus snaps this season. In addition to missing nine tackles -- 20.5 percent of his overall opportunities, per Pro Football Reference -- Sorensen has also been responsible for a 153.8 passer rating when targeted in coverage this season. The Chiefs are hoping that Thornhill can provide an upgrade at the back end, and even if he's not a standout performer in real-life terms, he should have ample opportunities to record statistics. Thanks in part to his own shortcomings in coverage, Sorensen still racked up 35 tackles through five games, a total that ranks tied for 13th among secondary players.
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Chiefs' Juan Thornhill: Leads Chiefs' Week 3 tackle count
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Thornhill topped the Chiefs' defense with six tackles (five solo) Monday against the Ravens.
Although he hasn't quite put up the numbers to suggest a repeat of his rookie season, Thornhill and Tyrann Mathieu were the only two players to play every defensive snap Monday. He should continue to see consistent action at safety moving forward, but his numbers haven't put him on too many IDP radars just yet.
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Chiefs' Juan Thornhill: Comes off PUP list
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The Chiefs activated Thornhill (knee) from the active/PUP list Wednesday after he passed a physical, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Thornhill's rookie season came to an end when he suffered a torn ACL in his left knee Week 17, causing the 2019 second-rounder to miss the Chiefs' Super Bowl run. He's made significant progress in his rehab, though, and appears ready to partake in practice in some capacity. Thornhill's status for the Chiefs' Week 1 matchup with the Texans remains undecided, but if he's able to suit up, he likely will serve as the team's starting free safety.
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Chiefs' Juan Thornhill: Placed on PUP list
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The Texans placed Thornhill (knee) on the PUP list Friday, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.
Thornhill missed the Chiefs' Super Bowl run after tearing the ACL in his left knee Week 17. There's some hope he'll be healthy by the regular season, but he has yet to recover enough to avoid Friday's move. When he does achieve full health -- or at least enough to get back on the field -- the 2019 second-round pick will man free safety for Kansas City.
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Chiefs' Juan Thornhill: On track for training camp
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Thornhill (knee) is expected to be healthy in time for the start of training camp, Sam McDowell of The Kansas City Star reports.
The 24-year-old suffered a torn ACL in his left knee during the regular-season finale, but he appears to be progressing well in his recovery. Thornhill could still be eased into action early on, but there's no indication his status for the start of the season will be in question.
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Chiefs' Juan Thornhill: Moves to injured reserve
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Thornhill (knee) was placed on injured reserve Tuesday, Herbie Teope of The Kansas City Star reports.
Thornhill suffered a torn ACL in the regular-season finale, so the move to injured reserve was simply a matter of time. In Thornhill's absence, Armani Watts figures to see increased work after seeing his highest snap total of the season Week 17.
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Chiefs' Juan Thornhill: Serious injury feared
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Thornhill will have an MRI on Monday to determine the severity of a knee injury that forced him out of Sunday's win against the Chiefs, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
The Chiefs fear Thornhill's injury could be serious enough to keep the rookie second-round pick out for the playoffs. The Virginia product has been a starter at free safety since Week 1, and he's recorded 58 tackles, five pass breakups and three interceptions. The results of the MRI will be available at some point Monday, and Daniel Sorensen is next in line to start if Thornhill is indeed ruled out.
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Chiefs' Juan Thornhill: Done for day
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Thornhill (knee) is out for the remainder of Sunday's game against the Chargers.
The fact that Thornhill was immediately downgraded to out is not a good sign for the injury, especially considering he exited early in the second quarter. With the Virginia product sidelined, look for Daniel Sorensen to take over as the team's starting free safety. More information regarding Thornhill's injury should arise heading into the playoffs.
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Chiefs' Juan Thornhill: Eight tackles in debut
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Thornhill totaled eight tackles (five solo) in Sunday's regular-season opener versus the Jaguars.
Thornhill helped out against the run in addition to making tackles on opposing wide receivers. The 2019 second-round pick impressed enough in fall camp to secure a starting job opposite Tyrann Mathieu in the opener and figures to give the Chiefs some back-end talent that was lacking last season.
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Chiefs' Juan Thornhill: Taking reps with first-string defense
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Thornhill took part in some 11-on-11 reps with the first-team offense Thursday, Brooke Pryor of The Kansas City Star reports.
Thornhill has pieced together an impressive training camp and preseason and is believed to be a candidate to open the season as a starting safety. Thornhill proved to be a ballhawk in his three seasons at Virginia, notching 13 interceptions, including a career-high six as a senior last season.
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Chiefs' Juan Thornhill: Expected to be ready for camp
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Thornhill (calf) is expected to be ready for training camp, Brooke Pryor of The Kansas City Star reports.
Thornhill was getting reps with the first-string defense in June's minicamp before sustaining this calf injury. If healthy, the 22-year-old figures to see a starting role next to Tyrann Mathieu in the Chiefs' secondary, bumping Daniel Sorensen down in the depth chart.
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Chiefs' Juan Thornhill: Headed to Kansas City
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The Chiefs selected Thornhill in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft, 63rd overall.
Assuming nothing is amiss, this looks like a steal for the Chiefs. The NFL was evidently skeptical of Thornhill's tackling ability, but he flashes such uncommon upside as a coverage safety that it should be easy to overlook. The Virginia pass defense was very good over the last two years, and Thornhill might be the main reason why. He intercepted 10 passes in his last 25 games, and then he torched the combine with a 4.42-second 40, 44-inch vertical, and 141-inch broad jump at 6-feet, 205 pounds. If Patrick Mahomes can keep establishing leads, then Thornhill should find interception opportunities. He's on the immediate IDP radar given the fluid state of the Kansas City safety rotation.
