Bengals cornerback DJ Turner II, endorsed by his head coach, coordinator, and quarterback, was not only not voted to the Pro Bowl this week, but he was named only a third alternate.
Mystifying, but not surprising.
Two-time Pro Bowl quarterback Joe Burrow, who somehow didn't make it in 2021 despite a rare double of leading the NFL in yards per pass and completion percentage, gave him a heads-up.
"I thought DJ should have made the Pro Bowl," Burrow said after Wednesday's practice. "But I told him the other day, usually the first year that you should make it, you're typically an alternate. If you stack that year, they give it to the next year. It happened to me, and you kind of see that across the league."
Turner appreciated the words and a similar you'll-get-there from four-time Pro Bowl left tackle Orlando Brown Jr.
"I mean, there's nothing you can say about it," said Turner, who is already so dialed in he doesn't need any more motivation.
Or does he?
"You can say that. But I'm going at it regardless," Turner said. "It's all right. They can't take away my film. My film is my film whether I make the Pro Bowl or not. That's how I look at it."
Mutual Admiration Society On The Corner
Dax Hill, Turner's Michigan teammate and cornerback on the other side in what has been an impactful tandem the last five games, could tell Turner was "a little mad," at the news. But his teammate rallied to him.
"Everybody in here knows what kind of year he's had and that's what we told him," Hill said. "It will just add fuel to the fire. We all know what he's done."
All Turner could do was talk Hill. When the Bengals drafted Hill with the 31st pick in 2022, a year before they took Turner in the second round, they knew they were getting a college nickel who could play anything. After Hill played more than 1,000 snaps at safety his second year, they moved him to nickel, where he was solid until Cam Taylor-Britt got hurt in the first game out of the bye. They needed Jalen Davis' experience in the slot, and they were confident Hil could go to outside corner and he's proved them so right in this stretch that coincides with the best defense of the season that we may be looking at the 2026 Opening Day outside cornerbacks.
"I always knew he could do it," Tuner said. "Nickel and corner are two different positions, and he just had to get comfortable. He looks good.
"I've been saying it. Pull it up. He's the only defensive back in the league who can do what he does. I saw him do it coming out of high school. We're the same class. There's nobody in the entire NFL that can do what he does. I'll stand by that."
Hil says the toughest adjustment is learning the broader range of routes that receivers can run outside as opposed to inside at nickel. No matter.
"I'll play where ever they think they need me," Hill said.
Slants and Screens
Burrow has noticed the play of the defense and shouted out defensive end Myles Murphy.
"I think Myles Murphy has really shown a lot the last couple of weeks," Burrow said. "I don't know anything about the scheme or what his responsibility is on plays. I just see him making plays and impacting the game in a lot of different ways. You can say that for a lot of guys. A lot of young guys that are starting to step up that way." …
He also knows a good trio of cornerbacks when he sees it.
"I think our defensive backs have been playing well all year. Obviously, DJ, in my opinion, has been one of the best performers in the league this year," Burrow said. "Dax is really coming into his own. I think JD (Davis) in the slot has really made some big plays for us the last couple of weeks since he's been in there.
"All he's done is make plays, and those guys are always running to the ball, making it difficult and making tackles when the guys do catch it. I thought they'd been lights out for the last eight games." …
Defensive tackle Joseph Ossai (ankle) and returner Charlie Jones (ankle) haven't been ruled out by head coach Zac Taylor for the game against the Cardinals Sunday (1 p.m.-Cincinnati's FOX 19), but they haven't practiced since they got hurt ten days ago against the Ravens …
Tight end Noah Fant (ankle) returned to practice Wednesday after missing the Miami win and went limited …
Tight end Cam Grandy (chest), hurt in Miami, didn't practice Wednesday …
The Bengals report late Thursday morning for their XMAS day practice …
