The Cincinnati Bengals enter training camp Wednesday with three key players still unsigned to new deals, and both head coach Zac Taylor and director of player personnel Duke Tobin expect all of them to be on the field.

Cornerbacks DJ Turner II and Dax Hill, along with running back Chase Brown, remain in contract negotiations with Cincinnati, but the organization’s expectation is that each player will report and participate when camp opens.

Duke Tobin says he expects DJ Turner and all extension-eligible guys to practice starting Wednesday

— Jay Morrison (@ByJayMorrison) July 27, 2026

There is a notable caveat, though.

Zac Taylor leaves the door open for a hold-in scenario

Taylor made it clear that he’ll see how it plays out once the Bengals actually get on the practice field. The assumption is that Turner, Hill, and Brown will all participate, but neither Taylor nor Tobin made any grand declarations guaranteeing 100% participation while negotiations remain ongoing.

Zac Taylor says he’s anticipating that DJ Turner, Dax Hill and Chase Brown will all participate in camp despite no new deals yet

Taylor reiterated when they get on the field he’ll see how it plays out of course but the assumption is they’ll have full participation pic.twitter.com/gumO2nVnI1

— Kelsey Conway (@KelseyLConway) July 27, 2026

This leaves the door open for a potential hold-in for any of the three players. Ja’Marr Chase deployed this exact strategy a couple of years ago when his representation was negotiating a major deal for him. Chase reported to training camp and was present for practices, but he did not actually participate. By showing up, he avoided fines for failing to report. He just didn’t take reps.

Any of the three unsigned players could follow that same blueprint if they choose to, and Taylor didn’t want to make any guarantees.

Turner’s actions suggest he’ll be on the field

Of the three players, Turner may be the safest bet to practice. He made it clear back in June that his focus is on playing football and having the best season he possibly can. He had every opportunity to skip voluntary workouts or hold in during mandatory minicamp the way Trey Hendrickson did last year, and he chose not to do either.

My gut feeling is that Turner does practice, at least on a limited basis. There may be instances where he watches from the sidelines, and the same could be true for Hill. I think this would especially be the case if either player suffered any unexpected injury during camp. In that scenario, they would likely want to preserve themselves and recover as long as possible rather than push through it with a new contract still unfinished.

We’ll find out answers starting Wednesday

Cincinnati has dealt with players sitting out training camps before amid contract talks. Chase and Hendrickson weren’t the first, and likely won’t be the last examples. Taylor and Tobin aren’t going to alter expectations for participation just because of past examples. 

Both sides appear willing to work through camp while the details get sorted out, which is encouraging, but camp is long and things can easily change. It’s why Taylor isn’t writing anything in ink.

We will find out for sure when training camp officially begins Wednesday morning.