Bengals Cornerback DJ Ivey Proving He's Worthy of a Bigger Role

Walking into the locker room after Sunday’s long, physical practice, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins was lamenting the heat and humidity he and his teammates endured for the longest session of training camp.

But Higgins also pointed the temperature wasn’t the only thing taking a toll on him.

Asked about his touchdown reception from quarterback Joe Burrow, in which he high pointed the ball against DJ Ivey, Higgins was quick to praise how challenging it has been going against the 2023 seventh-round pick, especially over the last few practices since starting cornerback Dax Hill has been out with leg tightness.

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— Jay Morrison (@ByJayMorrison) August 9, 2026

“He’s gotten me better,” Higgins said. “He’s really pushed me.”

Told of Higgins’ praise, Ivey said it meant a lot.

“It feels good,” he said. “I mean, I’ve been battling him for the last few practices. And that’s gotten me better. So it feels good to hear that from a top five receiver in the league.”

Ivey looked defeated after Higgins’ touchdown, as if he was muttering to himself “what in the heck am I supposed to do to stop that.”

Burrow and Higgins have been connecting on those sort of passes for seven seasons.

Ivey has six career pass defenses on just 195 snaps.

“I knew it was a high possibility that he was gonna get the ball,” he said of Higgins. “I thought he was gonna do a stutter go, or maybe just a fade. I knew it was coming to him.

“It’s hard to tell what I could have done differently,” Ivey said. ““Obviously Tee’s a big target and Joe is putting the ball in a spot where only Tee could make the play,” Ivey added. “He’s one of the best five receivers in the league. I just have to try to make the play.”

The tape doesn’t lie, and neither do the reps. That means Ivey is a lock to make the 53-man roster for the fourth consecutive season.

“DJ Ivey is as consistent as ever,” defensive coordinator Al Golden said.

Ivey said that’s because even four seasons into his career, he still has the seventh-round chip on his shoulder after being the 246th player drafted out of 259 in 2023.

“Every camp I go into, I, go in as if I'm at the bottom of the barrel and just got to work my way up,” he said. “All my life I've, I've been working. So there's no difference in what I'm doing here. I’ve just got to keep putting in the work to stay here.

While he hasn’t seen the field much on defense, Ivey has been a strong special teams player for coordinator Darrin Simmons.

What’s made Ivey’s performance this summer even more impressive is that the team is not adjusting his special teams snaps in correlation to the increase in defensive reps he’s been getting.

Ivey’s 273 special teams snaps in 2025 were the third most of the team behind Oren Burks (385) and Tycen Anderson (382).

Anderson signed with the Broncos this offseason, so Ivey could be in line for an even bigger role on special teams.

“It’s been tiring at times in camp, but in the end it’ll be good,” Ivey said. “No, in the end it will be great. So I can’t think about it in the moment. Just have to keep working.

“I want to be the best gunner in the league,” he added. “I want to make the Pro Bowl and be a special teams leader for us.”

The Bengals listed Ivey as the backup nickel corner to Jalen Davis on their first depth chart of the season Sunday.

He hasn’t played there much in camp as those reps have mostly gone to Davis, Ja’Sir Taylor and Bralyn Lux.

But Ivey is carving out a role not only as the first outside corner off the bench, but as a specialist in covering tight ends.

He is certain to have a role in 2026. It’s just a question of how big it will be.

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