Bengals Player Profile: DJ Ivey holding on for one more year rounding out Cincinnati’s cornerback room
Sticking around for three years after being one of the last drafted in your class is impressive on its own. Cornerback DJ Ivey making his fourth consecutive 53-man roster would be quite the feat.
We’re 41 days away from the Cincinnati Bengals’ preseason finale against the Philadelphia Eagles. As each day passes, we’ll be going over a member of the Bengals’ 90-man roster. Check out previous player profiles here.
The next name in our series was one of the last picks in the draft and could play out his entire rookie deal.
DJ Ivey Player Profile
Age: 26
Year: 4th
Position: Cornerback
College: Miami
Jersey Number: 38
DJ Ivey was selected with the No. 246 overall in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Bengals. Prior to the NFL, Ivey spent five years (2018-2022) at Miami, playing in 58 games and starting 32 of them.
Ivey beat the odds and made the 53-man roster as a rookie seventh-rounder. He started the year as a healthy scratch but injuries at the position opened door for him later in the season. He played in eight games and took a season-high 14 snaps against the Indianapolis Colts, the game he registered his first pass defensed. A week later, he suffered a season-ending knee injury.
The injury took Ivey out of the first six games of 2024. He came off the bench in the remaining 11 games, finding a role as a slot defender against tight ends. He held a similar role in his first 17-game season in 2025 and played outside cornerback for 47 snaps in the final three weeks.
Contract details
Ivey is entering the last year of his four-year, $3,920,656 rookie contract with the Bengals. His base salary for 2026 is the minimum $1,145,000 for his experience, which is also how much cash he’s making this season. When adding on his signing bonus proration of $20,164, his salary cap hit will be $1,165,164.
Roster outlook
Sticking around for three years after being one of the last drafted in your class is impressive on its own. Ivey making his fourth consecutive 53-man roster is contingent on how he fares against Josh Newton.
Cincinnati has its starting outside corners in DJ Turner II and Dax Hill. The starter in the slot comes down to Jalen Davis, Ja’Sir Taylor, or Bralyn Lux. Tacario Davis was just drafted in the third round to back up the outside.
Five of those names will make the team. If the number is six, like expected, Ivey should be battling Newton for the last spot. Consider it a 50/50.
Roster odds: 50%