HOUSTON – Backpedaling smoothly and breaking on the football, Cincinnati Bengals cornerback D.J. Turner served notice of his full recovery from a fractured clavicle.
Turner is running fast with no discomfort whatsoever in his upper body after his injury last season.
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Turner’s promising second NFL season was cut short last year when he got hurt when he was placed on injured reserve after 11 games and six starts. He had a 74.0 passer rating against him when targeted and ranked fifth with a 21 percent incompletion percentage. He was 10th in the NFL in passer rating against him and 16th in snaps per catch allowed.
“Oh yeah, I’m 100 percent,” Turner told KPRC 2 following a training session with elite NFL defensive backs private coach Jacory Nichols. “I’m ready to go.”
Turner, a former second-round draft pick from Michigan who has run the 40-yard dash in a scorching 4.26 seconds, is one of the most athletic corners in the NFL. Before he got hurt the Georgia native was establishing himself with a combined 18 starts over his first two NFL seasons. with 79 tackles, three for losses, one sack, one fumble recovery and 15 passes defensed. Now, Turner is looking to build on those performances.
“Just put it all together, finish the season,” Turner said. “I got hurt last year, so that will be the main thing. I felt like I was putting it together, so just complete everything this year and put it all together.”
#Bengals corner D.J. Turner @djturner_5 upbeat about team outlook, '100 percent' healthy, growth as a player, offseason training locking in with @jacorynichols @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/54g5i92CEO
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) April 11, 2025
The outlook for the Bengals is promising considering the talent on the roster and the strong finish to last season.
Headlined by quarterback Joe Burrow and a formidable wide receiver tandem in Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, the Bengals are regarded as a contender in the AFC North division.
“Oh yeah, we feel good going into the year,” Turner said. “For sure, excited for it. Made some moves, we’re really excited going into this year.”
Workouts like this one with Nichols provide a boost for Turner, a Georgia native who scored two touchdowns on interception returns in his final two seasons for the Wolverines.
“It’s good work,” Turner said. “I’m always at ‘One Way,’ it’s great work.”
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com
