Safety Juan Thornhill spent the first four years of his career with the Chiefs, so he has seen a lot of team success since entering the professional ranks.
Thornhill’s torn ACL late in his rookie season kept him from playing in Super Bowl LIV, but he was in the lineup for Super Bowls LV and LVII along with another AFC Championship Game after the 2021 season. Those experiences have given him some idea about the kind of teams that make it deep in the playoffs and he believes his new team has a chance to do that.
Thornhill signed with the Browns as a free agent this week and he said at his introductory press conference that he sees the makings of a successful team.
“All of the pieces are here,” Thornhill said, via the team’s website. “They’ve got a really good quarterback, receivers, the defense is super strong. I feel like all of the pieces are here and we have that capability of getting there and making a splash in the playoffs and making it to the Super Bowl.”
The Browns will have quarterback Deshaun Watson for a full season and they added Thornhill, edge defender Obgo Okoronkwo, and defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson to a defense that will now be coordinated by another Super Bowl winner in Jim Schwartz. The hope is that the combination is able to prove Thornhill right about what they can accomplish on the field.
