Newfound layer to DJ Turner II contract extension talks gives Bengals a meaningful advantage to strike a deal
The Cincinnati Bengals and cornerback DJ Turner II are working toward a contract extension, and a connection between Turner’s agent and the Bengals’ defensive staff could play a meaningful role in how negotiations unfold.
The Cincinnati Bengals and cornerback DJ Turner II are working toward a contract extension, and a connection between Turner’s agent and the Bengals’ defensive staff could play a meaningful role in how negotiations unfold.
Turner’s agent, Andre Odom, has a prior relationship with Bengals defensive coordinator Al Golden dating back to Golden’s tenure as head coach at Temple.
Odom was a walk-on player for Temple when Golden was the head coach. He transferred from Bloomsburg to play under the now defensive coordinator in Cincinnati, but a back injury prevented him from ever playing for the Owls.
The Philadelphia native later became a graduate assistant for Temple, hired the year Golden left for the University of Miami in 2011. He spent three years working for the program while pursuing a master’s degree in sports management, which helped him eventually launch a career as an NFL agent.
Cincinnati’s track record with trusted agents
Odom and Golden’s history may make a difference in negotiations because the Bengals place significant value on relationships with the agents they work with.
This was on full display last year when Cincinnati negotiated major extensions for both Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Chase’s agent, Rocky Arceneaux, was hired by Higgins near the end of the 2024 NFL season, and Arceneaux ended up representing both receivers on their way to securing significant deals simultaneously. Arceneaux has been dealing with the Bengals for a long time, having represented Carl Pickens, a receiver for the Bengals back in the 1990s.
Cincinnati pursued La’el Collins during free agency in 2022. Collins was a salary cap casualty via the Dallas Cowboys and had multiple suitors. His agent, Peter Schaffer, was well known and trusted inside Paycor Stadium. He represented former Bengals running back Joe Mixon as well. Schaffer and the club were able to finalize a team-friendly deal to secure Collins with little-to-no noise reaching the public.
The Bengals tend to have their most productive negotiating sessions with agents they trust. They prefer to keep things out of the media, and they don’t appreciate agents who use connections with NFL insiders to put the team’s business on public display.
Why the Odom-Golden connection matters
That Odom has a prior relationship with Turner’s main coach should give the Bengals a degree of comfort at the negotiating table. Odom works for Turner and has a responsibility to put Turner’s interests first. That much is clear. But if Odom thinks highly of Golden as a coach, both sides should be pulling in the same direction.
Odom knows the coach Turner is playing for and understands the environment Cincinnati is building around him. The Bengals, in turn, know they have an agent on the other side focused on Turner’s best interest rather than making noise for leverage.
This deal could come together in the next few weeks, but no one would be surprised if it took the entire rest of the offseason. Nothing about the Bengals’ negotiating history suggests these things get wrapped up quickly. The foundation of trust between Odom and Golden, however, gives me an added layer of confidence that the deal eventually gets done.