The Steelers see veteran S Juan Thornhill as their next interchangeable part in the secondary, and he’s happy to oblige. Going into his seventh season, he is replacing Damontae Kazee as their third safety. But he sees himself as a defensive back who can do anything they want him to do.
“I feel like I’m very versatile. I can cover receivers, I can cover tight ends, I can blitz, I can play in the box”, Thornhill told reporters during minicamp, via Pittsburgh’s DSEN. “I can literally do everything that they need me to do. Whatever they ask me to do is what I plan on doing”.
While the Steelers have Minkah Fitzpatrick and DeShon Elliot starting at safety, Juan Thornhill gives them an experienced veteran as insulation. And while he is waiting for a chance to start, he is happy to tackle any assignment to get on the field. Football is what he knows and loves—and maybe he has something to prove, too.
Thornhill is coming off a trying two seasons with the Cleveland Browns marred by injury. Signed to a three-year, $21 million contract, he found his stay cut short following a release this offseason. Instead, he turned around and signed a one-year, $3 million contract with the Steelers. Along with it comes the opportunity to play the Browns twice a year.
Historically, the Steelers like to use a third safety in certain situations under Mike Tomlin. He likes the skill set Juan Thornhill presents in that role, as well as his overall presence at safety. But if they don’t have a clear-cut plan for him just yet, he wants to make it easy on them.
“Literally anything they ask of me”, Thornhill said when asked what he believes he can bring to the defense. “I’m just trying to get here and make a lot of plays. Coach was talking about, they see me deep, they see me in the box, they see me cover receivers, tight ends. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to win”.
In his two seasons with the Browns, Juan Thornhill struggled to make an impact. He recorded zero interceptions, forced zero fumbles, and had just one tackle for loss with four passes defensed. That does not reflect his entire career, though, as he had production in Kansas City. In four seasons with the Chiefs, he had eight interceptions with 20 passes defensed and five tackles for loss.
The Steelers aren’t expecting him to be some splash-play machine, but they need him to perform when called upon. Exactly when will they call upon Thornhill, and under what circumstances? I’m not sure they know quite yet, but they can figure that out in training camp.
