Oct 6, 2024; London, United Kingdom; New York Jets safety Chuck Clark (36) against the Minnesota Vikings in the second half at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Steelers Have Under-the-Radar Position Battle to Monitor

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI
By Jack Markowski | Last updated Aug 9, 2025 11:00 AM ET

The Pittsburgh Steelers' position battle at safety is alive and well heading into the team's first preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

While appearing on 93.7 The Fan's "The Pomp And Joe Show", the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Ray Fittipaldo stated that he believes Juan Thornhill and Chuck Clark are jostling for reps next to DeShon Elliott after each signing one-year deals with the Steelers this offseason, and that both players have made plays throughout training camp thus far.

"Yeah, I think it's a legit battle," Fittipaldo said. "Both those guys have been making plays. Thornhill is always around the action, been in the right place at the right time for some picks. Especially in the two-minute drill for the last week or so. Clark is always around the ball too. I think Thornhill has a little bit of an edge right now, he came in a little bit late, but Clark is playing well [too]. He'll push him to the end of the preseason."

While Jalen Ramsey is expected to spend some time at safety when Pittsburgh is in its base packages, there should still be plenty of snaps up for grabs for Thornhill and Clark once the regular season rolls around.

Both players have prior experience in the AFC North, as Thornhill was a member of the Cleveland Browns in 2023 and 2024 while Clark began his career with the Baltimore Ravens in 2017 and remained with the organization through 2022.

Thornhill, who won Super Bowls with the Kansas City Chiefs in both 2019 and 2022, started all 22 games he appeared in for the Browns while logging 103 tackles over 1,009 defensive reps, according to Pro Football Reference. He primarily lined up at free safety during his two years with the team, recording 806 snaps there during that stretch, per Pro Football Focus.

Clark, who missed the entire 2023 campaign after tearing his ACL with the New York Jets, started all 12 contests he played for the team last season. He had 347 reps at free safety, though he also logged 272 snaps in the box, according to PFF.

The Steelers will likely be able to move Clark around more than Thornhill, perhaps giving a slight edge to the former in terms of earning playing time right off the bat.

Both players should see the field with regularity throughout the preseason, and their fight for snaps will remain front and center for the rest of the summer.

This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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