The Cincinnati Bengals have a legitimately elite cover cornerback in DJ Turner who's extension-eligible, but hasn't had the lengthy track record to earn a top-of-market contract.
That math changes next offseason if the Bengals, as they're wont to do, drag their feet on extending Turner. Complicating matters is the fact that Turner and his teammate, Dax Hill, share the same agent, and Hill is entering a contract year as well.
It'd be wise for Cincinnati to get ahead of the soon-to-be reset cornerback market if they want to maximize their Super Bowl window. Look no further than the two players, Devon Witherspoon and Christian Gonzalez, who played in the latest Super Bowl and are about to do just that.
Extending DJ Turner early would save Bengals millions as Devon Witherspoon and Christian Gonzalez prepare to reset CB market
ESPN's Brady Henderson provided an update on Witherspoon's contract negotiations, as he and Gonzalez wait to see which front office blinks first to set a new high watermark for cornerback contracts.
Henderson referenced how smooth sailing it was for the reigning Super Bowl champs to get that Jaxon Smith-Njigba extension sorted, but a Witherspoon accord has proven more elusive. Turns out, it may be directly linked to Gonzalez:
"The other big-ticket item on their offseason to-do list has not progressed nearly as easily. Seattle made an initial offer several weeks ago, according to a league source, but the two sides do not yet appear to be close to an agreement. Some in league circles have wondered if the relatively slow pace could be related to the fact that Witherspoon is represented by the same agency -- WIN Sports Group -- as another star cornerback, Christian Gonzalez, whom the New England Patriots are currently trying to extend."
Imagine being the agent for Spoon and Gonzo. Will their guy retire off the payday from both these mega contracts? I would consider it!
Anyway, it's not like Hill is going to command top dollar in a prospective second contract. Turner could come semi-close to that next offseason, but the highest-paid corner in terms of average annual value is Trent McDuffie at $31 million.
McDuffie is a two-time All-Pro and a two-time Super Bowl champ. That's why he gets that kind of dough. As good as Turner was last season, he doesn't have anything close to that track record.
The range for Turner's contract is more like four years and $80 million, which would make him the 10th highest-paid player at the position as of now. But if the Bengals wait too long, and let Spoon and Gonzo dictate the market they'll just cost themselves more money down the road.
We've been here before, Who Dey Heads. Ja'Marr Chase didn't get an extension, and proceeded to rattle off a Triple Crown season during the 2024 campaign. Cincinnati had to shell out even more the next year to make Chase the highest-paid wide receiver in the sport.
Can the Bengals learn from their own history? Or are they doomed to repeat it? This offseason tells us real change is indeed possible. We'll see if that translates to the Turner situation at the negotiating table.
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