It didn’t take long for new Pittsburgh Steelers safety Juan Thornhill to forget about his two years in Cleveland. Hours after the news of Thornhill signing a one-year deal to move from Cleveland to Pittsburgh, Thornhill is showing off his new colors.
In an Instagram video shared by comedian Cody Lewis Smith, who teased the signing early Monday, Thornhill tosses his Browns’ hat aside and pops back into the frame wearing a Steelers’ lid while waiving a Terrible Towel.
New Steelers S Juan Thornhill making the switch from Browns to Steelers on IG, via comedic_cody #Steelers #NFL pic.twitter.com/b91BBamWjg
— Steelers Depot 7⃣ (@Steelersdepot) March 17, 2025
The original video had “Renegade,” Pittsburgh’s unofficial anthem, playing in the background.
Signed to a three-year deal, Thornhill spent the 2023 and 2024 seasons with the Browns. But he struggled to meet expectations as Cleveland’s defense underperformed in 2024, finishing 27th in points allowed. A playmaker early in his career, Thornhill failed to intercept a pass in his two years with the team while his effort was questioned. The Browns cut him early in the offseason.
Clearly, Thornhill is ready for a fresh start. He also has a chance to face his former team twice a season, contests where he’ll have a chip on his shoulder. Staying healthy will be key after missing six games in each of the past two seasons, which is a big reason why he was released. Like CB Darius Slay, Thornhill will bring hardware to a Steelers’ team that has failed to win a playoff game in eight years. Thornhill won two Super Bowls with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2019 and 2022.
A starter in Cleveland, Thornhill will serve as top safety depth in Pittsburgh. The Steelers lacked experience behind starters Minkah Fitzpatrick and DeShon Elliott and now have Thornhill sliding in as the No. 3 and competing for a sub-package role. However, CB Cory Trice Jr. will likely have first dibs on dime snaps to begin the 2025 season.
Whatever his role may be, Thornhill is as excited as anyone to be a Pittsburgh Steeler.
