Bengals get troubling news that will add even more drama their Week 16 matchup against Dolphins
Bengals cornerback DJ Turner II may be a game-time decision for Sunday’s game in Miami.
DJ Turner II has been added to the Cincinnati Bengals’ Week 16 injury report.
Turner is now questionable to play in Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins due to an illness.
Turner was not listed on any of Cincinnati’s three injury reports during the week of practice. His illness is a new development that now puts his availability in jeopardy.
DJ Turner II in danger of missing Bengals at Dolphins
The overall struggles of the Bengals’ defense has not hindered Turner from having a standout season. The third-year CB has been the NFL’s leader in passes defensed (17) for most of the season, and has Pro Football Focus’ fourth-highest coverage grade among corners with at least 500 snaps through Week 15.
Turner has been Cincinnati’s best defensive player by a country mile in a year when Trey Hendrickson was sidelined for all but seven games. It will not be easy for the Bengals to play without their top cover cornerback, even against a Dolphins offense that will feature rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers making his first-career starrt.
Should Turner be out with his illness, Cincinnati has a couple options to start in his place.
Josh Newton, DJ Ivey are the next cornerbacks on deck
There are five cornerbacks on the Bengals’ active roster including Turner. Dax Hill and Jalen Davis are already starters, so that leaves Josh Newton and DJ Ivey as the remaining options to start for Turner.
Newton was Cincinnati’s fifth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and has started two games this year. He made six starts last year as a rookie after Turner suffered a season-ending shoulder injury, but his playing time has decreased dramatically this year. He didn’t get the same call up from the bench earlier this season when Cam Taylor-Britt’s foot injury knocked him out for the year, as Davis was inserted to the starting lineup as the nickelback with Hill moving outside to fill in for Taylor-Britt.
If Newton isn’t the answer, then Ivey is all who remains. Ivey was drafted in the seventh-round of the 2023 NFL Draft and has played no more than seven snaps in a game this season. Where he falls shoort on experience compared to Newton, he exceeds him with length and has had his own flashes defending at the catch point.
Turner has a day to rest up and get right in order to play, but if he can’t, expect the Bengals to use their remaining cornerback depth to replace one of their best players.
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