Juan Thornhill, who is returning to Arrowhead, knew last season he’d leave Chiefs
As the 2022 season unfolded, safety Juan Thornhill reveled in the victories the Chiefs compiled but also had an inkling his time in Kansas City would soon end.
Sure enough, a month after the Chiefs won Super Bowl LVII, Thornhill signed a free-agent deal with the Cleveland Browns. He’ll be back at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday for the Chiefs-Browns preseason game.
Thornhill talked with reporters Tuesday about going back to Kansas City, and he mentioned how he knew his time with the Chiefs would end after the 2022 season.
“I kind of had a sense there was a chance that I will be moving on because they had drafted a guy Bryan Cook in the second round,” Thornhill said. “And as the year went on, I just saw him getting better and better each and every week. and I just saw him keep on steadily making plays.
“So I knew that, ‘OK, this guy’s not gonna stay here a play behind me for another three years if I sign back because this guy’s ready to play right now.’ So I kind of figured it was probably my time to move on.”
Thornhill was drafted by the Chiefs in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He started 16 games as a rookie but an injury kept him out of the playoffs, including Super Bowl LIV.
However, Thornhill played in Super Bowl LV and LVII.
Even though the handwriting was on the wall, Thornhill admitted he would have loved to return to the Chiefs.
“I would say it did (hurt) a little bit,” Thornhill told The Chronicle-Telegram’s Scott Petrak earlier this month. “Just because of the fact that when the team doesn’t want to bring you back, it kind of feels like you weren’t wanted. But I know that’s not the case in this situation because I know they made it obvious that they wanted me back, but I just think the numbers weren’t right and they really couldn’t even afford to get me back.
“The NFL’s a business, so there’s no hard feelings at all. But it did hurt a little bit that I couldn’t go back.”
Facing the Chiefs
Thornhill is not bitter about his departure from Kansas City, but he does hope the Browns can supplant the Chiefs as the NFL’s dominant team.
“I never wish anything bad on them,” he said this week. “But hopefully, this was the last year (of Chiefs in the Super Bowl), because I’m hoping that we can get there each and every year now.”
The Chiefs have won seven straight AFC West titles, hosted five consecutive AFC Championship Games and been to three of the last four Super Bowls, winning the Lombardi Trophy twice.
Thornhill believes the Chiefs can maintain that success.
“Just the culture over there is amazing,” he said. “Honestly, I don’t think they’ll ever fall off. Those guys, they take everything very seriously over there, and I think that they will be competing each and every year for sure.”
Thornhill made a lot of friends during his time with the Chiefs, and he was back in Kansas City earlier this year when players received their Super Bowl rings.
Now, he’s looking forward to seeing them Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium.
“It’s gonna be a lot of fun going out there and seeing a lot of familiar faces like seeing your coaches and your former teammates,” he said. “It’s gonna be pretty fun getting out there and talking a little bit of trash, you know, make a couple of plays. I’m excited for it.”
Thinking back to his time practicing with the Chiefs, Thornhill said he got his fair share of interceptions against quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Even though it’s a preseason game, Thornhill hopes the Browns make life difficult for Mahomes.
“I don’t think Pat will play that much,” Thornhill said of Saturday’s game. “He’ll probably play a couple of reps. Hopefully we get back there to him a little bit and coach (Andy) Reid gets a little scared and takes him out.”
