The Cincinnati Bengals needed something of a miracle to get their season back on track in the wake of Joe Burrow's injury. Apparently, his presence on the sidelines and the rallying players on the field sparked something on Thursday against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Heading into Week 7, many eyes were on Cincinnati cornerback DJ Turner for his exceptional performance this past Sunday. Turner was sticky in coverage as he has been all season, but the microscope was on him even more once Cam Taylor-Britt was a shocking healthy scratch.
Well, Turner did get beat on the Steelers' opening drive for a 39-yard gain on 3rd and long on a beautiful Aaron Rodgers deep ball to DK Metcalf. Good news for the home team? DJ bounced back with a vengeance.
DJ Turner stuns on Thursday Night Football with amazing interception off Aaron Rodgers
Not many people may know this, but DJ Turner's real name is JuanDrago Turner. If you run a sub-4.3 40, have that name, and start multiple years under Jim Harbaugh at Michigan, you might be a good NFL player stock to invest in!
Thank goodness the Bengals picked Turner in the second round a couple years ago. He's emerging as an exceptional talent — and he straight-up wowed prime-time audiences on Thursday night with this unbelievable interception off of Rodgers late in the second quarter:
TURNER TURNOVER
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) October 17, 2025
📺: #PITvsCIN on @NFLonPrime pic.twitter.com/LfcvGn7bM4
That’s an unbelievable interception by Bengals DB DJ Turner, WOW: pic.twitter.com/2gzotIeKWq
— Arye Pulli (@AryePulliNFL) October 17, 2025
Turner's aforementioned elite speed allows him to recover even when he's beat on a play, such as this route run by the also-fleet-footed Metcalf. What's most impressive is how Turner played through the catch point, and wrested the ball away from one of the strongest dudes in the entire NFL.
Whatever he lacks in size against the Man Mountain that is Metcalf, Turner made up for here with some competitive grit and heart. You must have a short memory as an NFL cornerback, particularly against somebody like Metcalf, who's liable to MOSS anyone on any given play.
This single play symbolized the type of fight the oft-listless-looking Bengals need to show to snap their current four-game losing streak. Expectations should be tempered for this season sans Burrow, yet Turner is one of a select few premium draft picks in recent years who's really starting to pop.
As of this writing, Cincinnati carried a 17-10 lead into halftime, capitalizing on two interceptions for 10 points. Let's see if the Bengals D can keep it going and tee up a turnaround for the second half of the 2025 campaign. WHO DEY!! I'm feeling excited and things in general again!!!