The Kansas City Chiefs have an interesting opportunity after the Pittsburgh Steelers made a surprising move, releasing former Chiefs safety Juan Thornhill. The safety makes sense as a potential reunion candidate, completely based on his experience with the team, having contributed to Super Bowl runs. However, this won't be as simple as signing the veteran defender to the active roster and moving forward with the safety in a depth role.
Kansas City carries three safeties on its active roster: Bryan Cook, Jaden Hicks, and
Chris Roland-Wallace. Taking it a step further, corner Chamarri Conner has experience at safety, making it clear there isn't a 53-man roster spot to be had at that position in Kansas City at this moment. Should any reunion happen, it would require Thornhill to be willing to swallow his pride and join the franchise on a practice squad deal.
This makes a great deal of sense for both sides, considering the benefits of Thornhill's extensive starting experience and the defender's need to rehab his image. Stops in Cleveland and Pittsburgh both ended poorly. Things went so poorly with the Steelers that head coach Mike Tomlin flamed the defender on his way out of Pittsburgh. This makes it clear that Thornhill needs a landing spot that will rebuild his value.
Juan Thornhill an Obvious Reunion Option if Safety Makes One Sacrifice
This opens the door for a practice squad signing, giving the Chiefs an emergency safety option and defensive back they can turn to if injuries pile up. Based on how Thornhill fares in practice, it is also very possible that the veteran works his way into an active roster spot as a reserve and special teams contributor. It makes sense to give the safety a chance on the active roster if the practice squad results are promising.
Already, the Chiefs have a version of this on the current practice squad with Mike Edwards as a piece of the team's emergency plans. However, there is no denying that even with Thornhill's recent struggles, the aging veteran is an upgrade. Edwards has never had the ceiling of Thornhill, who was a meaningful starter for Super Bowl teams.
At best, Edwards is a depth piece or a great practice squad addition; this is far from Thornhill's potential ceiling. Even with the recent struggles with the Browns and Steelers, there is still hope that Steve Spagnuolo's defense could turn back the clock for the 30-year-old defender.
It is obvious the talent is still there; it has simply been a lack of consistency in each of the last two landing spots. The Chiefs have nothing to lose by offering the experienced starter a practice squad role in hopes of finding a surprise contributor. At worst, you've added great emergency depth with zero risk to the current roster; it is a move the franchise must explore after Thornhill's latest setback.
One that should make the safety very open to the idea of accepting a lesser role and attempting to rebuild value with the franchise, where he enjoyed the best seasons of his career.