The regular season hasn’t begun yet for the Cincinnati Bengals, and the injuries are already beginning to stack up. Now, star cornerback DJ Turner has become a surprise addition to the injury report.
Turner is being listed as having a hamstring injury. That kept him limited in practice on Thursday. For the time being, his status for the game is still unspecified.
It doesn’t seem like an overly serious injury for Turner. However, hamstrings can be tricky. So, it’s worth following upcoming injury updates to see where he’s at closer to game time.
Injuries became an issue for Turner in 2024. That included a broken collarbone, which forced him on IR. Because of that, he missed six games.
Turner has been with the Bengals since 2023 when they drafted him in the second round. Since then, he’s developed into one of the better cover corners in the entire NFL. That saw him have 18 PBUs in 2025 while snagging 2 interceptions. He’s someone who they now expect to lean on in the 2026 season.
There Was a Bold Prediction for Cincinnati Bengals Cornerback DJ Turner
Ahead of the season, Kevin Patra of NFL.com shared his prediction for one player on each team who had never been to a Pro Bowl before and would make one this season. In the Bengals’ case, that turned out to be DJ 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,” Patra wrote.
A season ago, PFF ranked DJ Turner as a Top 20 cornerback in the NFL. That included ranking him as the sixth-best corner in the league for pass coverage.
The question is whether he can replicate or even build on his 2025 season. That was by far the most productive season of his career. It was also a season when he was notably able to play in 17 games and start in 16 games.
The Rest of the Bengals Injury Report
DJ Turner wasn’t the only Bengals player on the injury report. Cincinnati had five other notable names that are worth keeping an eye on.
Three defensive linemen, Jonathan Allen, BJ Hill, and Shemar Stewart landed on the injury report as well. Allen and Hill, notably, were there for rest. Allen was also the only DNP for Thursday. As for Stewart, he continues to try and work back from the knee injury he suffered during training camp.
Then, star wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins were both also listed on the injury report. Chase has a knee issue, while Higgins has a foot or heel issue. Luckily, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor previously said that both are on track to play in Week 1.
As of now, the Bengals haven’t made any official decisions on any player appearing on their injury report. There’s still some time before that needs to happen, though, and plenty of things can change from now until Sunday.
Bengals Injury Update: Star Defensive Back DJ Turner Lands on Injury Report