Cincinnati Bengals cornerback DJ Turner showed up and showed out for his defense in Week 1. He was just one of the pieces for a defense that spent all of the offseason hearing about how bad they were. Among the AFC North, that defense allowed the fewest points among the four teams.
For Turner, it was a resurgence. We all had high hopes for him when the Bengals selected him in 2023. Due to inconsistent play and injuries, the beginning of his NFL career has had its ups and downs. But it was all ups on Sunday afternoon.
After his performance against the Cleveland Browns, Turner just made the case that he should earn more playing time and perhaps challenge for one of the boundary corner positions.
DJ Turner earns game ball after game-sealing interception
In the locker room after the game, head coach Zac Taylor handed out two game balls in recognition of the impact their respective turnovers had on the game. One went to safety, Jordan Battle. The other went to Turner.
Turner's interception almost sealed the game for the Bengals. However, the offense couldn't run out the clock on the Browns. Nevertheless, with Cleveland driving inside of Cincinnati territory, Turner's interception came at a critical point.
With that interception, the defense helped the team avoid yet another notorious slow start under Zac Taylor. Also, it helped to ensure a share of first place in the standings and the division’s power rankings.
DJ Turner has a real case for a more expansive role
Coach Taylor handing out a game ball to DJ Turner seemed more important than just surface-level praise. Watching the video of the celebration in the locker room, it was clear that it meant more to Turner. And why wouldn't it?
Turner is in the third cornerback role. That is, when Dax Hill goes into the slot, Turner takes over on the outside. But he is not the only one in that role, because he was in a timeshare with Josh Newton.
Turner looked good in what was ultimately limited playing time. Looking at the snap counts, Turner had 61% of the defensive snaps compared to Newton’s 38%. Hill and Taylor-Britt took 97% of the defensive snaps.
Turner, a second-round selection in the 2023 draft, is already behind Hill, who completed his transition from safety to corner, and Taylor-Britt. Now, Turner must share the third corner roll with Newton. His confidence might have taken a hit last year and this offseason, but his performance on Sunday should allow him to regain it.
And it looks like Turner has some of his swag back already. As he stated after the game, “I just told them when my number is called, I’ll be ready.”
“There’s just an energy, a vibe and a feeling of the team playing as one.” DJ Turner pic.twitter.com/YgrmP62VXl
— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) September 7, 2025
And ready he was. Turner made a few nice plays throughout the game, including excellent coverage in the pass breakup on Jerry Jeudy.
DJ Turner PBU one on one with Jerry Jeudy pic.twitter.com/m2ijazOt5B
— mike (@bengals_sans) September 8, 2025
Turner made the case for more opportunities to have a bigger impact. Let's hope he gets the chance.
Case to break into starting lineup
The former Wolverine did enough to hold off Newton. Now, can he do enough to super plant camp Taylor-Britt, who did not have the best of outings against the Browns?
On the other side, Cam Taylor-Britt was in the bottom 10 with a QBR allowed of 150+.
— Gridiron Grading (@GridironGrading) September 8, 2025
That is not what you want to see against the Browns offense if you are the Bengals hoping for a rebound.
And some fans are very vocal about maybe seeing less of Taylor-Britt.
What has Cam Taylor-Britt done to prove he deserves an extension? I mean, we can’t cling to his 2023 forever. He’s looked BAD. pic.twitter.com/YAxIPxKGdf
— Whodeyupdates (@whodeyupdates) September 7, 2025
Turner and Taylor-Britt were both the 60th overall selections in their respective class. Like Turner, Taylor-Britt has had his share of inconsistencies. Some games, he looks like one of the top corners in the NFL, while on other days, to put it simply, he does not.
Taylor-Britt was benched a couple of times last season in favor of Josh Newton, with DJ Turner out due to an injury. If that were to happen again, this season, Turner would be the one the team should turn to.
Also, an ongoing competition would explain why they were rotating Turner and Newton against the Browns. The coaches are unsure who would start in place of Taylor Britt if needed.
If that is the case, Turner made his case for being the best option, playing as if he deserves more playing time. And perhaps, if he continues to play like he did against Cleveland, the best choice to play opposite Dax Hill, period.