When the Cincinnati Bengals drafted DJ Turner in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft, it was a choice not only based on depth but also on long-term starting potential. The team had Cam Taylor-Britt manning one starting spot (who had a blip of stardom that year), as well as veteran Chidobe Awuzie and flexible first-round pick Dax Hill, on the roster.
Even so, Turner started 12 games that year and became one of the best starting corners in the game this past season, racking up his first two interceptions of his career and a whopping 18 passes defended.
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In a recent virtual interview with NFL Insider Ari Meirov, Turner spoke about his outstanding 2025 season. But what many forget is how the year didn’t start with all roses and sunshine.
Turner lost out on a starting outside role to Taylor-Britt and Hill before the 2025 Week 1 opener against the Browns, with head coach Zac Taylor breaking the news to him. Instead of getting inside of his own head, Turner politely told Taylor that he’d regain the starting spot and wouldn’t look back.
Boy, was Turner correct on that one.
“When I got called in there, I got benched, and I appreciate coach Zac doing this…you know, a lot of times, you get benched, it is what it is, but he wanted to call me in. He wanted to talk to me,” Turner said. “So he called me in and was like, ‘I just want to tell you, we decided to go with somebody else the first week.’”
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Cincinnati eked out a 17-16 win in the first go of the 2025 “Battle of Ohio,” thanks to two critical interceptions of Joe Flacco (he’d become a Bengal just a few weeks later). It just so happens that one of those critical interceptions was by Turner, who told Taylor in this meeting that he’d earn that starting role one way or another.
“I said: ‘Okay, bet. I’m going to get it back, and then I said: ‘When I get it back, I’m not coming off the field,” Turner stated.
Had the Bengals performed better in the regular season, Turner would have likely earned more Pro Bowl nods. Even without that nomination, Turner’s proclamation came true, and he took the starting role away from Taylor-Britt, who had a mix of on and off-field situations to pave the way for Turner to shine.
Now, Turner and Hill remain offseason contract extension priorities for the Bengals. Cincinnati has been rumored to be interested in investing a high pick in this year’s class at the position, but the offseason chorus from the team’s brain trust has centered around those two defensive backs sticking around for the long-term.
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Other elements of Turner’s interview with Meirov included his affinity for meditation for physical and mental recovery, his working relationship with Hill, and much more. You can see it below.
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