The Cleveland Browns originally hoped that Juan Thornhill would help fill the void in a remade secondary for a three-year stint when they signed him back in 2023 as one of their key free agent acquisitions. On Monday, the sides agreed to part ways—both player and team—which means Thornhill will be searching for his third NFL deal and team this next season.
The move to release Thornhill, which Mike Garafolo of NFL Network first reported, gives the veteran safety a chance to find a new team ahead of the blitz of free agent options when the new league year begins.
Thornhill first entered the NFL as a second-round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs back in the 2019 NFL Draft out of Virginia. He was an instant starter at free safety for the Chiefs next to Tyrann Mathieu and helped the team's defense adjust to Steve Spagnuolo's new scheme. The result was the team's first championship in 50 years back in Super Bowl LIV.
The Browns and Thornhill agreed to part ways on Monday before NFL free agency gets underway.
The Chiefs decided to let Thornhill walk in free agency after the completion of his rookie deal. General manager Brett Veach had already invested a new second-round pick in Bryan Cook in the '22 draft class, which made Thornhill expandable given other roster needs for K.C. that offseason.
The Cleveland Browns offered Thornhill a three-year deal worth up to $21 million that offseason and he settled into a starting role. However, calf injuries would plague him for both seasons and limit him to 11 games in both 2023 and 2024.
The Browns pretty much telegraphed this move earlier this year after being frustrated with his effort level in games late in the '24 season.
Given his recent injury history and the effort concerns exhibited in Cleveland, it's hard to picture any team being willing to give him a multi-year contract in free agency once again. However, his experience on two Super Bowl-winning teams and the fact that's still in his late twenties should yield a one-year deal with some franchise this spring—even if he might have to wait a bit.
The Chiefs, however, are unlikely to offer him a place to land unless it's one a cheap one-year deal. Jaden Hicks is ready for a considerable boost in playing time and Bryan Cook is still present as a starting option in his contract year. Justin Reid is also ready for free agency, but the team also has Chamarri Conner who is likely better suited sliding over into a prominent safety role after struggling at times as a slot corner.