There are millions of reasons why the Bengals need to extend DJ Turner II to a new contract this offseason
If the Cincinnati Bengals can only sign one more player to a contract extension this offseason, that player should be cornerback DJ Turner II. He’ll be severely underpaid otherwise.
If the Cincinnati Bengals can only sign one more player to a contract extension this offseason, that player should be cornerback DJ Turner II.
Turner played like one of the best corners in the NFL in 2025. Nearly a third of the passes targeted his way were either broken up or intercepted. Fewer than half were even completed. The former second-round pick was one of the lone effective components on a defense that collectively couldn’t stop a cold.
Last year didn’t come out of nowhere. Turner shined for most of his rookie season, and was building off that year in 2024 before a season-ending shoulder injury derailed his progress. His third year proved to be a culmination of promising development. He’s undeniably become one of the Bengals’ best young players as he won’t turn 26 until November.
There’s reason enough for Cincinnati to keep Turner around long-term. A quick look at another set of numbers shows why signing him to a new contract is not only fair, it’s necessary.
DJ Turner II is set to be ridiculously underpaid this season
Turner’s elevation up the hierarchy of the roster came at the perfect time for him. He’s entering the last year of his contract, and playing out the year without a deal would be a huge risk for the Bengals to take.
The club has exclusive negotiating rights with the fourth-year player until the hours before his deal expires next offseason. Should he continue playing at the level he reached last season, demand for his services will only increase. So will the price to sign him.
Extending Turner’s deal before the start of the season is the smart move for Cincinnati, and considering what he’s being paid now, it should be what Turner demands.
There are 17 players on the Bengals’ 90-man roster who are set to make more or just as much cash this season as Turner, who’s scheduled to earn $3.674 million in 2026. That figure is the same as fellow 2023 draftees Jordan Battle, Chase Brown, and Andrei Iosivas.
Turner is better at his job than each of those teammates, and the same can be said about others who will be making more money than him this year. Add on the fact that his salary isn’t even guaranteed, and there’s an argument for Turner to not even play without a new deal.
The other CB in the mix
It’s irresponsible to discuss Turner’s contract situation without including CB Dax Hill. Cincinnati started Hill alongside Turner full-time last year and was also pleased with how the former first-round pick performed. Hill is also entering a contract year, and the Bengals have made it known they want to extend both contracts.
The difference with Hill is he’s being paid over $9 million more than Turner this year. Hill’s fifth-year option was exercised last offseason and is worth a guaranteed $12.682 million.
Keeping Hill around for years to come isn’t anymore complicated than it is with Turner. It might actually be easier to find a price since the former is starting with a much higher base salary.
That’s a great reason to hammer home an extension with Hill. It also can’t be an excuse to not get the job done with Turner.
Final word
The Bengals value the cornerback position highly. They never want to feel like they’re set up for failure there in the present or future. That’s part of why Tacario Davis was selected in the third round of last month’s draft. Davis may not play much this year, but the odds of him replacing either Turner or Hill next year are definitely not zero.
Davis replacing Turner looks like the most likely outcome simply because extending Turner brings more challenges compared to extending Hill. It will require a much larger raise in pay, and the guarantees may be trickier as well since Hill at least has that locked in this season.
But Turner still has the better argument to be paid now. His most recent tape is top-tier, and his pay needs to reflect that. It should be the top priority for Cincinnati over the next three months and change before the season begins.