Steelers Make Surprising Move Releasing A Veteran Defender

The Pittsburgh Steelers suffered a brutal loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday night, and the team returned to Pittsburgh and made a roster change as safety Juan Thornhill has been released to waivers. The safety was signed during the 2025 offseason, and he began the 2025 season by being on the field a decent amount, but his snap counts have diminished significantly over the last several weeks of the season.

Thornhill was thought to potentially be a significant part of the defense ahead of the 2025 season, but that changed quickly as he seemed to be responsible for multiple lapses in coverage. He began to lose snaps to players like Chuck Clark, and Pittsburgh acquiring Kyle Dugger at the trade deadline also made it difficult for Thornhill to see the field. It was first reported by Ian Rapoport that Thornhill was being released on Monday.

Pittsburgh's defense improved dramatically with Dugger and Jalen Ramsey taking over at the two safety spots, and it was clear that players wanted that change to remain. This left Thornhill on the outside looking in, and now he will hit waivers where he can be claimed. It is past the trade deadline, so Thornhill does not get the luxury of being a vested veteran that can sign wherever he wants.

Thornhill was a disappointment for the Steelers, and his release could have been seen coming. The veteran had started one game for Pittsburgh, but he did not play a single defensive snap over the last two games. On the season, he has totaled 38 tackles to go with one pass breakup and a fumble recovery. It was clear and obvious that the defense was better with him not on the field, which is why a move like this makes sense.

This opens up a roster spot for the Steelers, and signing another veteran free agent would make sense. Players like Asante Samuel Jr. and Quandre Diggs are guys to keep an eye on as depth on the back end is fairly thin for Pittsburgh. Either player could be a contributor, as Diggs would provide depth at safety while Samuel could do the same thing at cornerback. It would make sense for the spot to be used on the defensive side of the ball, but the organization could go in a completely different direction.

What would you like to see the Steelers do with the open roster spot? What do you think about Pittsburgh releasing Thornhill? Let us know in the comments below!

#SteelerNation