Cincinnati Bengals superstar Ja'Marr Chase goes up against cornerback DJ Turner often in practice. If he gives a ringing endorsement to a player, it doesn't come lightly, because Chase is, in the opinions of many, the best wide receiver on the planet right now.
So while Chase made headlines by profanely emphasizing how important it is to protect Joe Burrow after a minor scuffle in Thursday's joint practice with the Chicago Bears, his take on Turner flew right under the radar.
The Cincinnati Enquirer's Kelsey Conway asked Chase who the most improved players were amongst returning Bengals defenders from last season. I found it more noteworthy that Chase singled out Turner than naming second-year linebackers Demetrius Knight Jr. and Barrett Carter.
Chase knows an elite talent when he sees one as Turner turns toward a new contract
While it's nice to know that the clearest weak links on the Bengals defense in Knight and Carter are raising the bar from their dreadful rookie seasons, DJ Turner getting a shout out from Ja'Marr Chase in that vein is quite something.
Again, Chase has firsthand experience going against Turner for years. It's probably made Turner a better player and vice versa.
But just think about what this means for a second. Turner was already on an awesome trajectory after breaking out in 2025. He's extension-eligible, and Ja'Marr gassing up DJ is a painful reminder that the Bengals waited a full season to pay Chase what he was worth. He responded by making himself even more expensive en route to a Triple Crown-winning 2024 campaign.
Will the Bengals wise up and pay Turner? Probably not until after this season. His new deal is complicated by the fact that fellow boundary cornerback Dax Hill shares the same agent.
In his quirky, young-nerdy-dad-who-doesn't-know-how-to-come-across-as-organically-relatable-without-it-feeling-super-forced video series, ESPN's Ben Solak did an exceptional breakdown of Turner's strengths and advanced stats:
Between Turner's on-field chops, and the cautionary tale of Chase and countless other prominent players who've been alienated during contract negotiations, extending Turner seems like a no-brainer. Alas, it's seldom so straightforward for this Cincinnati front office.
Whatever. I guess we're all at peace with the Bengals riding the lightning a little bit in 2026 — and that's mostly meant as a compliment. Good on Turner for not being a distracting and holding out (or in) at training camp. He's being a good soldier and is evidently going full-tilt in practice if Chase has named him among the three most improved defensive players from last year.
I'll say this: If the Bengals somehow don't keep Turner around for the long haul, it's looking more and more likely by the day that they'll be haunted by that blunder for years to come, a la Jessie Bates.
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