KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Chiefs free safety Juan Thornhill left practice Monday with a groin injury.
The injury happened around 10 a.m., about 54 minutes into a team practice at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph.
Walking up the hill now. Looks like his day is over. https://t.co/YC9k3xy4ms
— Aaron Ladd (@aaronladd0) August 2, 2021
Trainers appeared to be working on his right leg.
Thornhill, a second-round pick out of the University of Virginia in 2019, suffered a torn ACL in his left knee during Week 17 in 2019.
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He’d had an impressive rookie season to that point, starting all 16 games and logging 58 tackles with three interceptions — including one returned for a touchdown — with five passes defended.
Thornhill returned in time for the 2020 season, appearing in all 16 games and making eight starts, but his production dipped.
He managed 41 tackles with an interception and three passes defended last season, but admitted last week that he never felt 100% in 2020.
“Honestly, I had to play it off a little bit,” Thornhill said of returning from the ACL injury. “I wasn’t at 100%, but it was just more about the mental. I had to tell myself, ‘It’s going to hurt, but you’ve got to play through it.’ So, that’s why when the end of the season came you saw me making more plays just because it was more mental, and I just pushed myself through that mental block.”
Thornhill said he felt “better than I have for a long time” as 2021 training camp opened.
He was replaced by Rodney Clemons, according to Arrowhead Pride Editor-in-Chief and KSHB 41 contributor Pete Sweeney.
Rodney Clemons appears to be the next man up on the second team with Juan Thornhill done for the day. https://t.co/XfVxlxPhg7
— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) August 2, 2021
Wide receiver Chad Williams also appeared to leave practice Monday with an injury.
Tight end Travis Kelce returned to practice Monday after being sidelined during the weekend with a back/hip injury.
#Chiefs Travis Kelce is here and celebrating 'Mustache Monday' 🤣 pic.twitter.com/5xzNVGYVSy
— Aaron Ladd (@aaronladd0) August 2, 2021
The Chiefs are expected to put on the pads for the first time in training camp Tuesday.
Defensive lineman Malik Herring (knee), tight end Nick Keizer (back), guard Kyle Long (leg), linebacker Ben Niemann (hamstring) and right tackle Mike Remmers (back) sat out Monday’s practice along with running back Darwin Thompson (reserve/COVID-19).
