Bengals lose another key member of secondary due to major injury

The Cincinnati Bengals have been hit hard by the injury bug this season, and unfortunately that trend will continue. Cornerback DJ Turner II suffered a fractured clavicle during Cincinnati's Week 11 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday Night Football, and he will be placed on the injured reserve list as a result. Turner will miss a minimum of four weeks after being placed on IR, but a return timetable hasn't been provided.

DJ Turner II placed on IR with a fractured clavicle

While Bengals head coach Zac Taylor didn't label Turner's injury as season-ending, there's a real possibility that the second-year corner has seen his last on-field action of the 2024 campaign. Perhaps if the team makes a playoff run, Turner would be able to return to the active roster, but that seems like a long shot at this point.

Turner is the second cornerback that the the Bengals have lost, as the team is already without Dax Hill for the remainder of the season due to a torn ACL. Now, Turner will join him on the sideline.

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Hill's injury is obviously extremely unfortunate news for Cincinnati, as Turner was playing some solid ball at a thin position. He has started six games on the season, and recorded 29 total tackles and eight passes defended during his time on the field. He was one of the team's five highest-graded players from the loss to Los Angeles on Sunday night.

Cornerback has been a problem area all season for Cincinnati, and now they're going to be extremely thin at the position moving forward, unless some outside additions are made. Cam Taylor-Britt, who was benched against Los Angeles, will likely move back into a starting spot alongside Josh Newton.

Barring some unforeseen turnaround during the bye week, the secondary is likely going to continue being an issue for the Bengals, who have allowed 34 points or more in three out of their last four games. It's an area that will absolutely need to be addressed over the offseason.