Chiefs sensational rookie safety Juan Thornhill carted to locker room after non-contact leg injury

By Jesse Reed

·Updated: December 29, 2019

Kansas City Chiefs rookie safety Juan Thornhill suffered a non-contact leg injury during the second quarter of Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Los Angeles Chargers.

The injury to Thornhill occurred early in the second quarter on the same play that saw the Chargers take the lead on a Keenan Allen touchdown reception. He was blitzing Philip Rivers when he went down.

For more context, Juan Thornhill was blitzing from his free safety spot. Running full speed at Philip Rivers, Thornhill planted his foot & appeared to fall because of the turf, to some degree.
— Nate Taylor (@ByNateTaylor) December 29, 2019

Thornhill had to be carried off the field. He wasn’t putting any weight on his left leg, which, combined with the non-contact aspect of this injury, is a very bad sign indeed.

#chiefs trainers are on the field working on rookie S Juan Thornhill’s left knee area. He was down for a minute before getting helped off the field. He’s putting no weight on that left leg coming off the field. He’s grown by leaps and bounds the last several weeks.
— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) December 29, 2019

After being carried to the sideline, Thornhill was carted to the locker room.

Something you don't want to see on Week 17 if you're a playoff team playing your starters.#Chiefs rookie 2nd round pick, Safety Juan Thornhill, was carted off to the locker room.
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) December 29, 2019

The Chiefs selected Thornhill in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft out of Virginia. He’s become a key starter on a defense that has been the NFL’s best the past month, and the Chiefs will have a very hard time replacing him if this is a long-term injury.