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BEREA, Ohio —\u00a0Browns\u00a0safety Juan Thornhill knew this year had to be different. After\u00a0suffering through one of his most difficult seasons mentally and physically<\/u>, a year where he didn\u2019t know week to week how his strained calf would respond, he had to take a different approach when he suffered nearly the same injury, this time on his other calf, in the season opener against Dallas.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had some time to sit down and last year I didn\u2019t have that,\u201d Thornhill said, \u201cand I just didn\u2019t want to have to keep repeating the same injury all over again. So last year I would come back, play for one week and then be out the next. So that\u2019s why they decided to put me on IR to sit down and just let this thing heal.\u201dThornhill played in 11 games in 2023, his first year with the Browns after\u00a0signing a three-year, $21 million deal<\/u>. He arrived here from the Chiefs, a two-time Super Bowl champion expected to take on a leadership role in new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz\u2019s scheme.<\/p>\n
Thornhill originally injured his calf last year in the leadup to the opener against the Bengals, missing that game, returning to play the next eight games before injuring the calf more seriously in the third quarter of the Browns\u2019 10 win over the Ravens.<\/p>\n
He missed five of the next eight regular season games, struggling to get healthy. He did manage to return for the playoff-clinching win over the Jets and the wild card loss in Houston after being in and out of the lineup for the six weeks prior. (The Browns rested most of their starters in their season finale against the Bengals.)<\/p>\n
Thornhill never quite felt or played like himself last year and this time around, he realized it was best for everyone if he let the calf heal. The Browns placed him on injured reserve following their Week 1 loss against the Cowboys.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was just like, if I sit down a couple of weeks and let this thing heal, we can go on a great run,\u201d he said. \u201cI have how many games, 11 games to play? We could turn this thing around. So that was my main goal behind it. Just sit down and let it heal.\u201d<\/p>\n
The injury wasn\u2019t exactly the same as last season. It was his other leg and, last year, it was a grade 2 soleus strain. This time it was a grade 2 gastrocnemius strain.<\/p>\n
He knew during the Cowboys game when it happened and said he can be seen limping around on the film, but he was determined to finish.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the game. I\u2019m just like, \u2018Oh my gosh, it happened again,\u2019\u201d he said, \u201cbut then I got the MRI back and I was very frustrated for a day or two, but then I got out of that mindset pretty quick. I was just like, I just got to do everything possible to help the team in the film room and things like that. So that\u2019s all I could do. I couldn\u2019t be on the field helping the team, so I just had to find a way to stay positive.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thornhill, who said he only dealt with one other calf injury while with the Chiefs, which only forced him to miss one game,\u00a0changed his training routine this offseason<\/u>, switching to one emphasizing higher weights and fewer reps instead of the opposite, which was his previous approach.<\/p>\n
\u201c(This injury) was pretty rough because I felt like I did everything correct this offseason, prepared, I felt like I was good,\u201d Thornhill said, \u201cbut then it\u2019s just a freakish accident and things happen.\u201d<\/p>\n
One positive for Thornhill was getting to spend more time with his daughter, Aspen, born at the end of May.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been a lot better for me. Now that I have my daughter, I\u2019m trying to be as positive as I can.\u201d he said. \u201cI get to go home and spend time with her, but I\u2019m back in this thing, man, ready to go.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thornhill was limited all week in practice this week and is listed as questionable for Sunday. The Browns will have to activate him from injured reserve by 4 p.m. on Saturday but he sounds like he\u2019s ready to go. He sounds like he plans to play.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s time to go,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ve tested it for the past three days and I feel like I said I\u2019m in a great spot and I feel like I\u2019m ready to play.\u201d<\/p>\n
This would mark the first time since Week 1 the Browns would have their full complement of safeties with Thornhill and Grant Delpit, who has cleared concussion protocol, joining Rodney McLeod.<\/p>\n
Thornhill might not be returning to an ideal situation, with the Browns\u2019 playoff hopes seemingly out of reach, but he\u2019s not ready to say it\u2019s over. He said so during a talk with the team.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you look at our record, a lot of people outside this building may think our season\u2019s over, and I just wanted to bring positivity into this building, talking to the guys like, listen, we\u2019re 1-5. No one wants to have a 1-5 record, but if you really take a step back and think to the good side, we\u2019re 1-1 in the AFC,\u201d he said. \u201cWe have 10 AFC games ahead of us, our whole season is still ahead of us. We have an easy opportunity to go out each week and keep winning, we got a great opportunity to still make it to the playoffs.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thornhill also believes he\u2019ll provide a needed boost, something he hasn\u2019t been able to do while he\u2019s watched his team struggle.<\/p>\n
\u201cMe being out there now, I feel like I can help the team,\u201d he said, \u201cbecause I just know what type of player I am. I can make plays and I can fly around. I definitely feel like I can help.\u201d<\/p>\n
This year, he\u2019ll be in a much better position physically to provide the help the Browns need.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
BEREA, Ohio —\u00a0Browns\u00a0safety Juan Thornhill knew this year had to be different. After\u00a0suffering through one of his most difficult seasons mentally and physically, a year where he… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":14477,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14476","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-animal-world"],"yoast_head":"\n