The Pressure Cooker: Can Thornhill return to form?

Continuing our look at Chiefs entering potential make-or-break seasons

This series kicked off last week with the goal of emphasizing some Kansas City Chiefs’ players who need to step-up their game in 2022 in order for the Chiefs to take a step-up and for that player to carve out a long-term role.

It’s not solely about determining which players have, for a lack of better word, the most pressure on them, but rather players who are coming to a crossroads in Kansas City and could use a big season. That step would not only help the Chiefs make another Super Bowl run but would also do wonders for these players’ long-term outlooks, with the Chiefs or another NFL team.

The first installment focused on fourth-year wide receiver Mecole Hardman, so it makes sense to stay in the same lane this week. Hardman’s focus this season is likely to drive up his contract value as he looks to enter free agency and to help replace a fan-favorite, All-Pro-caliber player on offense in Tyreek Hill.

Hardman’s defensive doppelganger for 2022 is Thornhill, so let’s toss him in “The Pressure Cooker” and crack open that recipe!

The Pressure Cooker: Juan Thornhill

Matt Lane @Matty_KCSN

Juan Thornhill looks like he is getting fully recovered for last year's injury. He's been flying around the field in the playoffs but this play is insane. Drives on the flat, goes under the rub, turns, and carries up the SL while locating the ball.

Why is He Here?

Thornhill’s story isn’t that different from Hardman’s. He’s a second-round draft pick (2019) with immense athletic potential who has seemingly struggled to garner the full trust of the coaching staff.

Sound familiar?

This has led to limited snap counts for Thornhill and narrow sets of usage on the field, which has left his impact as highly inconsistent.

The major difference between the two is that Thornhill has arguably shown what he, and the Chiefs defense, can look like in the NFL when he’s playing his best.

As a rookie in 2019, Thornhill quickly earned a starting role in the Chiefs secondary, and by the end of the season was playing at an incredibly high level. His athleticism and range on the back end fit exceptionally well with the rest of KC’s safety room, and he was clearly coming into his own.

But then bad luck struck.