The Pittsburgh Steelers have two matchups left with the Cincinnati Bengals, coming in Week 13 and Week 18, and it sounds as if Cincinnati will be without one of its key pieces in the secondary. Per NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, CB DJ Turner II is feared to have suffered a fractured clavicle and is likely be out for rest of the season. Turner is seeking a second opinion, however.
A second-year cornerback out of Michigan, Turner has emerged as a key piece for the Bengals this season. While their pass defense has struggled, Turner has played some of his best football, with eight passes defensed and 29 tackles in 11 games with six starts. He was playing some of his best football as of late too, with three passes defensed last night before leaving the Bengals’ matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers due to the injury.
With Turner likely out for the season, the Bengals will likely turn to rookie Josh Newton, the team’s fifth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Newton has two passes defensed and eight tackles in 122 defensive snaps for Cincinnati this season.
Losing Turner is a blow for a Bengals team that hasn’t seen their season go the way they wanted, as the loss to the Chargers last night dropped them to 4-7 on the season. It’s going to be an uphill battle for the Bengals to make the playoffs, but they still feature a potent offense led by Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins that should make them a tough out in their two games against Pittsburgh. But losing Turner weakens a defense that’s already been struggling, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if Cincinnati went outside the organization for reinforcements.
The team recently hosted CB Xavien Howard on a visit and reportedly offered him a contract, and the Bengals could look to Howard or another veteran free agent cornerback to add more depth with Turner looking unlikely to return in 2024.
