Juan Thornhill Signs Three-Year Contract With the Cleveland Browns

Former UVA safety and two-time Super Bowl Champion Juan Thornhill is headed to the Cleveland Browns out of free agency

Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

Former Virginia safety and two-time Super Bowl Champion Juan Thornhill has a new home in the National Football League. After spending the first four seasons of his professional career with the Kansas City Chiefs, Thornhill signed a three-year, $21 million contract to join the Cleveland Browns, as first reported on Wednesday by the NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. 

Two-time Super Bowl winner Juan Thornhill agreed to terms with the #Browns on a three-year, $21 million contract with $14 million fully guaranteed at signing over the first two years, per sources.

Thornhill started 52 games for the #Chiefs. A big addition for Cleveland.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 15, 2023

After an impressive career as a defensive back for the UVA football program, the Altavista, Virginia native was selected by the Chiefs with the 63rd overall pick in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Thornhill had an excellent rookie season with three interceptions, but tore his left ACL late in the year and watched from the sidelines as the Chiefs beat the 49ers in Super Bowl LIV. Kansas City reached the Super Bowl the next season and the AFC Championship Game the year after that, but came up short of winning it all. 

This season, the Chiefs reached the mountaintop again and Juan Thornhill played a pivotal role, recording five tackles and a pass breakup in Kansas City's 38-35 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles to win Super Bowl LVII, earning Thornhill his second Super Bowl ring. Thornhill was brilliant in the entire postseason run for the Chiefs, grading at 90.5 on Pro Football Focus over his final five games, the top mark in the NFL among safeties during that period. 

In 65 total appearances and 52 starts over four seasons with the Chiefs, Thornhill recorded eight interceptions, one pick-six, 20 passes defended, one sack, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, five tackles for loss, and 234 total tackles. In 2022, Thornhill had three interceptions, nine passes defended and 71 tackles. 

Recognizing his potential to become one of the top safeties in the NFL, the Cleveland Browns made the move to sign Thornhill to a three-year deal on Wednesday. 

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