DJ Turner II isn’t letting the contract noise change his approach.
As the Bengals cornerback heads into the final year of his rookie deal, Turner said the situation won’t alter how he works or how he sees himself, even after ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported there is “virtually no chance” Cincinnati gets a new deal done before Week 1.
“If I got a contract right now, I got a contract yesterday or tomorrow, I'll be the same," Turner said. "As I said, my mindset is gonna be the same regardless.
I'm the highest paid, 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."
Fowler described Turner as “an underrated cover man out of the AFC North,” but added that the extension talks are nowhere close to the finish line. In Fowler’s view, Turner is expected to play out his rookie contract unless there’s a major and unexpected jump in progress.
That leaves the franchise tag very much in play. Fowler pointed to Cincinnati’s previous move with Jessie Bates III in 2022, when the Bengals tagged the defensive back before Bates eventually landed a four-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons in free agency.
Turner would be in position for a major payday if he reaches the open market, but the tag remains a realistic path if the Bengals decide to keep him from getting there.
There’s also the larger roster puzzle Cincinnati is trying to manage. The team just restructured Joe Burrow’s contract this offseason, the first time the franchise has done that, and the Bengals may soon be weighing new deals for players such as Amarius Mims and Dexter Lawrence after this season. That kind of future planning means decisions in the secondary could get crowded fast, including a choice between Dax Hill and Turner for who gets a new contract in that group.
Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin addressed the balancing act without getting into specifics.
“I’m not going to make any predictions about future contracts," Tobin stated. "We have everyone signed up right now, which is really good.
It's a good feeling. I think everyone is locked in on the season, and we'll see what the future holds.
But right now, our focus is winning and winning now. I'm not going to give any potential contract details or anything like that.
Everyone's under contract, and we want the good players to stay here long term. That's always the way we've been.”
For Turner, the case for a long-term deal is easy to see. He finished third in the NFL in pass breakups last season with 18, and ESPN’s Ben Solak noted that 27.7% of Turner’s 2025 coverage snaps ended in either a pass breakup or interception, also good for third.
Even with the uncertainty hanging over his future, Turner’s message was simple: keep improving, keep winning, and let the rest sort itself out.
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Bengals Took A Risk Joe Burrow Is Counting On
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Bengals Built This Roster To End One Criticism Around Burrow
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So the front office went after help with a sense of urgency, making additions aimed at changing the balance of the roster for 2026. The Bengals brought in defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence and added free agents Boye Mafe and Bryan Cook, moves designed to address a unit that has ranked near the bottom in points allowed over the past two seasons. Whether those changes are enough to finally remove one of the most persistent criticisms around Burrow is still the question hanging over the team. [Read more 🡒]