Bengals will continue managing cornerback Chidobe Awuzie's snaps

Cincinnati Bengals rookie cornerback DJ Turner will continue to play significant snaps for Lou Anarumo's defense for the time being. Anarumo told reporters that Turner "got off to a good start" following his debut in Week 1, that they'll continue to manage cornerback Chidobe Awuzie's snaps depending on the week. Turner played more snaps (35) […]

John Sheeran — Cincinnati Bengals News Writer

Sep 13, 2023 12:49 PM EDT

Cincinnati Bengals rookie cornerback DJ Turner will continue to play significant snaps for Lou Anarumo's defense for the time being.

Anarumo told reporters that Turner "got off to a good start" following his debut in Week 1, that they'll continue to manage cornerback Chidobe Awuzie's snaps depending on the week.

Some notes from Bengals DC Lou Anarumo.

-DJ Turner competed and got off to a good start, and there were some lessons learned. They'll handle Awuzie's pitch count on a week-to-week basis.

-He praised Dax Hill and Nick Scott for their production and communication in coverage.
— Charlie Goldsmith (@CharlieG__) September 13, 2023

Turner played more snaps (35) than any non-starter for Cincinnati's defense, including the likes of defensive linemen Zach Carter and Cam Sample. Even when Awuzie was on the field for 43 snaps, Turner got some early exposure in the secondary.

we all had ideas about what different packages the secondary could unveil. the first one was pretty unexpected. hilton as robber with chido and turner in the slot has some logic to it (there's a discussion to be had about hilton now). cover 1 on 3rd and long is dangerous tho. pic.twitter.com/a1ZTuTTGYX
— John Sheeran (@John__Sheeran) September 12, 2023

Of his 35 snaps, Turner was aligned out wide for 27 reps, in the slot for five reps, and in the box for three reps. The majority of his work came when Awuzie was rotated out during his first game back from a torn ACL he suffered on the same field 10 months ago.

Turner earned the praise as well. He made two tackles (one for a defensive stop), and allowed just one reception for four yards on three targets. He was consistently in the right spots in coverage, showcasing his elite movement skills at the position.

Awuzie will likely get to a point where the team will allow him to play close to 100% of the defense's snaps, as starting cornerbacks typically do, but there's no rush when Turner is able to come in and perform adequately. This is one of the many positive dynamics the Bengals can take away from such an ugly loss.