Mike Tomlin is still waiting to see who will be his quarterback in the 2025 NFL season. But in the meantime, the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ front office continues to add at other positions, recently signing a player who won multiple Super Bowl rings with Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes on the Kansas City Chiefs.
On Tuesday, Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reported that safety Juan Thornhill is joining Tomlin’s Steelers on a one-year contract after spending the last two seasons with the Cleveland Browns.
The 29-year-old was released in February, enabling him to explore his options in the open market. He’s joining one of the best defenses in the NFL in Pittsburgh, where he hopes to achieve with Tomlin the same kind of success he enjoyed with Reid in Kansas City.
Thornhill’s Super Bowl success with Reid, Mahomes’ Chiefs
Selected with the 63rd pick in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft out of Virginia, Thornhill earned a championship ring in his very first year alongside Reid and Mahomes. He didn’t get to see action in the Chiefs’ Super Bowl LIV win over the San Francisco 49ers though, as he had suffered a torn ACL in the final stretch of the regular season.
It was still a promising rookie campaign for Thornhill, who recorded 58 combined tackles (42 solo), five pass deflections, three interceptions, and one touchdown in 16 starts. The injury didn’t hold him back, as he went on to play a bigger role for another title.
A starter in Super Bowl LVII against the Philadelphia Eagles, Thornhill contributed to the Chiefs’ 38-35 win with five combined tackles (three solo) apart from deflecting a pass from Jalen Hurts.
A new chapter in Pittsburgh after stint in Cleveland
With 65 appearances (52 starts) and two Super Bowl rings under his belt, Thornhill earned a three–year, $21 million deal with the Browns in the 2023 offseason, ending a successful tenure with Reid and Mahomes’ Chiefs.
Calf injuries forced him to miss games in both of his seasons in Cleveland, where he recorded 11 starts in consecutive years. Now, he’s bringing even more experience to a Pittsburgh team that has high aspirations with Tomlin. While the team has a big decision to make at quarterback, it continues to strengthen an already powerful defense.