Last season, few things went right for the Cincinnati Bengals defense. They allowed the third-most points in the NFL and squandered a top-10 offense as they finished with their worst record since 2020.
They allowed the most rushing yards in the NFL last season, which resulted in some strong performances by members of their secondary going unnoticed. That was the case for cornerback DJ Turner, who had the best season of his career in 2025.
Now, after adding Boye Mafe, Jonathan Allen and three-time Pro Bowl selection Dexter Lawrence, the hope is Cincinnati’s run defense has improved. If that’s the case, Turner’s strong play would likely stop going unnoticed, which is why one NFL analyst has revealed a strong prediction ahead of the 2026 NFL season.
Cincinnati Bengals’ DJ Turner Gets Strong Prediction
NFL.com’s Kevin Patra predicted one player on each NFL team to make their first-ever Pro Bowl in 2026. For the Cincinnati Bengals, Patra selected cornerback DJ Turner.
Patra wrote of Turner: “DJ Turner II’s play surged in 2025. Unfortunately, the rest of a moribund Bengals defense left him an afterthought. The sticky cover man netted a -6.2% CPOE, fifth-best among all CBs (min. 500 coverage snaps) and a -0.1 EPA per target, per Next Gen Stats. With an upgraded unit around the rising CB, Turner’s play should improve even more in 2026.”
Last season, Turner received a top-20 cornerback grade from Pro Football Focus. While he struggled in run defense, Turner was sixth-best in the league in pass coverage, according to PFF.
Due to Turner’s rise, some expected him to land a contract extension one year before becoming a free agent. However, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler recently reported that an extension appeared unlikely, as he wrote: “Turner is an underrated cover man out of the AFC North. But 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…
Turner will be in line for a large payday in free agency, if he reaches it. But the franchise tag is a real possibility here.”
DJ Turner’s Contract
After the Bengals signed Boye Mafe, Jonathan Allen and Bryan Cook to multiyear deals that could be worth over $120 million combined, it may be a mistake to allow Turner’s price to increase if he were to hit the open market.
A to Z Sports’ John Sheeran believes Cincinnati not getting a deal done with Turner prior to the season would be a mistake. Sheeran wrote: “The Bengals have had a great off-season in 2026. Failing to lock in their top defensive back for the next handful of years would be a poor way to end it. Turner has successfully developed into exactly what the franchise envisioned he could be. He produced Pro Bowl-caliber tape and production last year, but was denied the honor because the rest of Cincy’s defense was horrid around him…
It should be a no-brainer for the Bengals to lock-in their guy in Turner, unless there’s a logical reason why both sides are far apart.”
Turner once again playing at a Pro Bowl level, and perhaps getting the honor this year, would only raise his price after the season.
Bengals Handed Strong DJ Turner Prediction Before Week 1