Browns’ safety discusses his ‘frustrating’ first season in Cleveland due to a chronic injury

Juan Thornhill doesn’t blame anyone who is dissatisfied with his performance on the field in 2023.

That’s because no one is more annoyed than the Browns’ safety.

“I know some people might’ve been disappointed with my play this year, but me, it’s fine,” he told reporters. “I didn’t perform up to my expectations.” I know I’m a much better player than I was this year, but I’m looking forward to it.”

Thornhill was one of Cleveland’s most significant offseason additions last spring, signing a three-year, $21 million contract after spending the first four years of his career with the Kansas City Chiefs, where he won two Super Bowls. He was one of the most outspoken players about the team’s Super Bowl hopes and the expectations for the Cleveland defense.

However, one day after the season ended with Cleveland’s 45-14 wild card loss to the Houston Texans, Thornhill reflected on how stressful the season had been for him personally due to a chronic calf strain that hindered him from Week 4 against the Ravens on.

Due to a recurrence of the issue, the safety has missed five games in Cleveland’s last eight. He also missed Cleveland’s season opener against the Bengals due to a calf injury, for a total of six games.

“I came back way too fast,” Thornhill said. “It was a grade-two strain, and a grade-two strain takes a month to a month and a half to fully heal.” But I didn’t have that much time to rest, so I continued wanting to return and get back on the field, but every time I went out there, I simply aggravated it by straining it over and over again.

“It just seemed like I was just hurt all the time, but it was just one injury that was just lingering the whole season.”

Thornhill had 54 tackles, two quarterback hits, three total pressures, and one pass defensed by the end of the season.

Thornhill had never suffered with a nagging issue like this before in his career. He tore his ACL in 2019 and missed the Chiefs’ journey to the Super Bowl, missing three postseason games, but he returned in 2020 without any more repercussions.

In the hours following Cleveland’s loss on Saturday, he took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to vent about his calf issue.

“One of my most frustrating years of football !” he wrote on social media. “Trying to play through injury all season and not being able to give City my best effort.” I know it didn’t go as planned, but Cleveland We will return!! (emoji peace symbol, love hands)”

Thornhill is already preparing how to spend this offseason differently in order to avoid a similar outcome in 2024.

“Get more flexible, just work on speed and things like that,” he went on to say. “However, I’m excited. This will make next year so much better for me. I can promise you that I’ll keep saying it again and over.”

The frustrations extend beyond his own ailments this season to a sense of unfinished business.

Under coordinator Jim Schwartz, Cleveland’s defense was rebuilt, and the Browns concluded the regular season as the top unit in the NFL (270.2 yards per game), as well as the top pass defense (164.7 yards per game) and the best third-down defense (29.1%). The 280 passing yards they allowed to the Texans in the wild card game were their second-worst total of the season.

Then there was the shear number of injuries the Browns had to deal with. Cleveland finished the season with 13 players on injured reserve, including nine starters. The Browns have lost Rodney McLeod (biceps) and Grant Delpit (groin) for the season, while Thornhill has been in and out of the lineup.

“This team, these guys, they worked their a—- off all year,” Thornhill added. “It stinks that we didn’t get to the championship game, but I think guys will be back next year really hungry because they have that experience now.” Guys have played in the playoffs and at the highest level. So, guys, we’ll be back and ready to go.”

It’s difficult to locate a silver lining in the immediate aftermath of a loss like the one to the Texans.

But Thornhill, who promised to keep speaking his Super Bowl dreams into life, was already talking about this year as a foundational year, particularly on the defensive side of the ball.

“Year one, and we were the best defense,” he went on to say. “Normally, it takes time for guys to get used to playing next to each other, but we seemed to click right away.” So imagine us returning next season with a year under our belts under coach Schwartz. These opponents are going to be terrified.

“I feel like with us coming off this loss, guys will be really hungry, and I can’t wait.”