The Cincinnati Bengals have spent the offseason rebuilding their defense with the expectation that the unit can finally help push the team back into postseason contention. But as the regular season approaches, one important defensive storyline appears increasingly likely to carry over into 2027.
That would be the future of cornerback DJ Turner II.
Turner is entering the final season of his rookie contract after emerging as one of the Bengals’ most important defensive players in 2025. Unfortunately
for Cincinnati, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that the two sides are nowhere close to reaching a long-term agreement before the start of the season.
In fact, Fowler’s assessment is about as definitive as it gets.
“This deal has virtually no chance to get done before Week 1, barring a massive and unexpected uptick. It isn’t close, and Turner is poised to play out his rookie deal.”
That’s obviously not what Bengals fans would like to hear about a player who appears to have developed into a legitimate No. 1 cornerback.
But it also shouldn’t come as a complete surprise.
Turner Has Become Exactly What Cincinnati Needed
When the Bengals selected Turner in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft, his elite athleticism and speed made him an intriguing developmental prospect.
The development happened quickly.
After battling for a starting role entering the 2025 season, Turner became a fixture in the Bengals’ secondary and ultimately started 16 games. He was regularly tasked with following opposing teams’ top receivers and produced some of the best coverage numbers in the league.
According to Next Gen Stats, Turner led all NFL cornerbacks with a 27.7% hawk rate in 2025. He also tied for third among cornerbacks with 18 pass breakups.
His traditional statistics were impressive as well: 40 tackles, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, and 18 passes defended in 17 games.
And perhaps most importantly, the Bengals trusted him to take on the difficult assignments. That’s what makes the current contract situation so significant.
Cincinnati finally appears to have found a young corner capable of handling the responsibilities that come with being a team’s top outside cover man.
Now the Bengals have to determine just how much they’re willing to pay him.
The Price of Doing Business Has Changed
One of the complications is that the cornerback market has exploded.
Fowler notes that the top 10 cornerback contracts currently average approximately $24.7 million per season. That means the Bengals aren’t negotiating against the market they faced just a few years ago.
They’re negotiating against a rapidly escalating one.
The Rams recently made Trent McDuffie the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL at $31 million per year. Other elite corners have also pushed the market beyond the $30 million annual threshold.
Turner doesn’t necessarily need to reach that level for his next contract to represent a major financial commitment. And that’s where Cincinnati’s dilemma comes into focus.
The Bengals have already made enormous financial commitments to Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. The organization also has to account for other important players who will need new contracts in the coming years.
Fowler points out that Cincinnati could therefore decide to follow a strategy it has used before.
The Jessie Bates Blueprint
If the Bengals can’t reach an agreement with Turner before the season, Fowler believes the franchise tag could become a legitimate possibility next offseason.
That should sound familiar to Bengals fans.
Cincinnati used the franchise tag on Jessie Bates III in 2022. Bates ultimately played under the tag before leaving Cincinnati in free agency the following offseason and signing a four-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons.
The Bengals also used the tag on Higgins twice before eventually reaching a long-term agreement with him. Obviously, cornerback is a different position than that of safety and/or wide receiver, and the Bengals have traditionally held differing opinions on the respective values of those spots.
But there is precedent for Cincinnati allowing a player to enter the final year of his contract, using the franchise tag as a bridge and attempting to negotiate a long-term deal later.
The difference this time is that Turner plays one of the most valuable positions on the defense. If he puts together another Pro Bowl-caliber season, his price could become even more expensive.
Turner Doesn’t Sound Concerned
Interestingly, Turner doesn’t appear to be approaching the situation with the same urgency that fans might.
Earlier this offseason, he made it clear that he wants to remain in Cincinnati but intends to let his representation handle the business side. His focus is elsewhere.
“I’m not even getting into all that — for real,” Turner told ESPN during offseason workouts. “I’m just taking care of myself.” Turner also made it clear that he wasn’t satisfied with what he accomplished in 2025.
“Last year was cool, but there’s so much more I’m trying to do,” he said. “So much more. I left a whole bunch of plays on the field last year.”
Then on Thursday, Turner was asked about Fowler’s ESPN report and had this to say (via Mike Petraglia):
“If I got a contract right now, I got a contract yesterday or tomorrow, I’ll be the same,” Turner said, later adding, “As I said, my mindset is gonna be the same, regardless if I’m the highest-paid (cornerback) or I don’t have a contract. It doesn’t really matter.
“Just get better every week. Get better every week and win. That’s really all you’re gonna ask for.”
That mentality could ultimately be exactly what Cincinnati wants to hear. Turner isn’t entering the season trying to prove that he’s worth a certain contract.
He’s entering it trying to become a better football player.
Cincinnati Has a Big Decision Coming
The Bengals have plenty of reasons to want Turner around for the long haul.
He’s young. He’s athletic. He’s already demonstrated that he can cover top receivers. And he’s entering his prime as Cincinnati’s defense gets significantly more talented around him.
But the economics are complicated.
Fowler’s report suggests the Bengals and Turner are far enough apart that there is essentially no chance of a deal being completed before Week 1. That means the decision may simply be postponed.
Cincinnati could let Turner play out the final year of his rookie contract, see whether he can replicate his 2025 breakout, and then determine whether the franchise tag—or a massive long-term contract—is the best way to proceed.
The risk, of course, is that Turner has another monster season and makes himself even more expensive. The potential reward is that the Bengals get another year of evaluation before making what could be one of the largest defensive investments in franchise history.
Either way, this doesn’t appear to be a contract situation that’s going away anytime soon. For now, Turner seems perfectly comfortable letting his play do the talking.
And if he plays the way he did last season—or takes another step forward—the Bengals are going to have a very expensive decision to make.
