Tyrann Mathieu says Juan Thornhill looks smooth in return from injury

Tyrann Mathieu says Juan Thornhill “looks smooth’ in his return from an ACL injury.

Juan Thornhill went down right when things were about to get really good.

When the Kansas City Chiefs saw their starting free safety ailing on the ground with an apparently serious injury in Week 17 against the Los Angeles Chargers just last season. it was a sign that Thornhill was going to miss extensive time. It was frustrating for both sides given that the Chiefs were about to go on an unprecedented run through the postseason on their way to a Super Bowl victory.

When the diagnosis came down that Thornhill had suffered an ACL injury in that game, it officially ended one of the most impressive rookie seasons enjoyed by the Chiefs in the last decade. It also meant that the defensive back had a long, long road ahead to recover and return to the field.

Fortunately, Thornhill is as dedicated to get back on the field as he is when healthy for the Chiefs. He passed his physical this past week and has returned to practice to get back into game shape as the team prepares to host the visiting Houston Texans in Week 1 on September 10.

Fellow teammate Tyrann Mathieu has been impressed by Thornhill’s return and recently spoke to reporters about his observations. Mathieu himself has taken this journey a couple times in his career, so he knows well what it takes to get back on the field.

"“It’s a blessing to obviously see a guy come back from an injury like that. Not many people can truly overcome it mentally. I think for him, he’s in a good space. He’s got a lot of good people around him. He’s confident in himself and his abilities, so I think that’s gonna actually help him once he actually gets on the field.“In my opinion, he looks smooth. I’ve been through two ACLs, so I know there’s going to be some growing pains there, but to say he’s eight-months post-op, he looks pretty good. He looks like a natural defensive back.”"

Thornhill was an absolute revelation as a rookie for K.C. in 2019, an instant starter at free safety and a worthy teammate to partner with Mathieu in the front office’s remake of the secondary. When asked about what advice he gave him, Mathieu just noted that Thornhill was already wired to do the work.

"“I just told him to keep a clear head, to not overwhelm himself, to not necessarily look at the end of the road. Just take it day by day, and everything will work out in his favor.”"

Thornhill had 58 total tackles and 3 interceptions last season for the Chiefs.