Ja'Marr Chase Names Bengals Defender Team's Most-Improved Player During 2025 Season

Chase has an outside chance of breaking his own Bengals single-season catch record.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (1) celebrates a first down in the first quarter of the NFL Week 17 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Arizona Cardinals at Paycor Stadium in Downtown Cincinnati on Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. The Bengals led 23-7 at halftime. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

CINCINNATI — Ja'Marr Chase has plenty of experience taking on great cornerbacks, adding more weight to his taking no time to pick cornerback DJ Turner II as Cincinnati's most-improved player this season.

The numbers agree with Chase. Turner has 40 tackles, two forced fumbles, two interceptions, and 18 pass breakups (second in the NFL) in his third NFL season.

The 25-year-old has spent plenty of time sharpening his skills against Chase.

"DJ, I think (improved) the most this year, that's what caught my eye this year about DJ, is just him switching his techniques from press to off (-man coverage) and physical to just speed. I think that's the biggest thing from this year."

Turner is playing like a wily veteran and has helped Cincinnati show a strong floor down the stretch of his third campaign.

He's improved his Pro Football Focus grades each season and is now at 72.5 this time around. Bengals head coach Zac Taylor has loved it.

“I’ve told stories all season about training camp conversations with him, and just really proud of him, the way he’s handled everything and the way that he just fights every week,” Taylor told reporters earlier in December. “I mean, you can genuinely feel the confidence from him, oozing off of him. And he’s been a tremendous asset for us.”

Turner is a clear leader and contract-extension candidate this offseason.

“He understands what it means to cover their best guy,” Taylor continued. “He understands all that that entails, the good and the bad. He’s willing to embrace it all. And proud of the season he’s having, and he’ll just continue to lead us.”

Turner, Chase and the Bengals get one more chance to showcase their skills this season on Sunday against the Browns.

Sign UP For Our DAILY Newsletter for MORE FREE Coverage of the Cincinnati Bengals Delivered to YOU Directly

For more on the Bengals, subscribe to our YouTube Channel and watch the video below as part of our in-depth coverage of the team. Prefer to listen? Check out Cincinnati Bengals Talk on Apple, Spotify, and Amazon Podcasts.

Make sure you bookmark BengalsTalk.com for the latest Bengals news, exclusive interviews, insight, film breakdowns and so much more!

Also, check out the podcast, Locked On Bengals, wherever you get your podcasts.

Apple: bit.ly/BengalsApple

Spotify: bit.ly/BengalsSpotify

YouTube: bit.ly/LOBengalsYouTube

-----

Follow us on X: @BengalsTalkSI

Like Our Facebook Page

Follow on TikTok