Bengals Beat: Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins Bring The Energy, DJ Turner Brings The Tranquility As Bengals ‘Buy In’ Is All In

CINCINNATI — Now that the roster has been constructed, this Bengals team is spending the offseason working on its yin and yang.

The Bengals wrapped up their final Phase 3 workout for the opening week of Organized Team Activities (OTAs). The overriding theme emanating from the Kettering Health Practice Fields is clear: unrestricted buy-in, intense on-field energy, and a complete lack of off-field drama.

In previous offseasons, the spring sessions were often defined by who was missing or the brewing contract anxieties surrounding key pieces. The current landscape features a unified locker room focused entirely on capturing a Super Bowl championship. Star wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, cornerback DJ Turner II, and rookie tight end Erick All Jr. are setting an urgent, laser-focused tone, and for different reasons. The most significant visual boost for the roster came from the return of Chase.

After utilizing the early, voluntary segments of the offseason program to train independently and physically recover from another physically and mentally-demanding campaign, Chase arrived back at Paycor Stadium this week with an attitude that exuded energy. But energy this offseason works both ways. Chase is bringing and he’s also feeling it.

Head coach Zac Taylor said that Chase walked directly into his office looking like he “never left,” bringing immediate juice and professionalism to the team.Chase directly addressed his presence at the voluntary workouts, squashing any media-driven narratives about contract friction.

“I’m here to show my face to the guys and be a leader, but still want to get my own work in also,” Chase said. “I think if you’re on this team, you should be bought in.”

Beyond his conditioning, Chase revealed a massive development regarding Cincinnati’s blockbuster roster re-construction. Chase took matters into his own hands, admitting to spending part of his time at the Pro Bowl Games aggressively recruiting premier external talent. Those efforts bore fruit when the front office executed an uncharacteristic, aggressive trade to land All-Pro defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II.

Chase noted that management’s willingness to part with high-value draft capital to secure a generational interior defender signals a shared urgency. With Lawrence anchoring the defensive front, Chase openly declared that the expectations for a championship return have skyrocketed.

Then there’s Tee Higgins. He carries a more subtle tone about his presence in the locker room – and always has.

Higgins arrived at OTAs with a matching, unselfish mindset that reverberated across the entire practice facility. He reiterated that the ultimate motivator for the star-studded offense isn’t personal metrics, but hoisting the Lombardi Trophy.

“We’ve got to win championships,” Higgins told me. “That’s the main goal.”

Higgins backed up his words with the signature play of the week during 7-on-7 situational drills. Matched up against converted cornerback Dax Hill in blanket, tight coverage, quarterback Joe Burrow launched a precise, deep vertical pass down the sideline. Higgins tracked the ball perfectly, making an acrobatic back-shoulder adjustment directly over Hill’s fingertips and right in front of safety Jordan Battle.The jaw-dropping grab drew animated praise from teammate positions and coaches alike, a flash of mid-season form under the June sun.

Reflecting on the spectacular play, Higgins smiled and said, “It felt good man, I needed that. I hadn’t caught a deep ball since last season so that felt good.”

Higgins highlighted the massive cultural benefit of having the entire receiving corps present for these early, unpadded sessions. He explained that building immediate, live timing with Burrow prevents a slow start when training camp opens in late July. For Higgins, grinding through the heat alongside his teammates sets a baseline of accountability that trickles down to the youngest players on the roster.

But perhaps the biggest indication of true change from 2025 to 2026 is the lack of drama from one of the star players due a contract extension. Last year, Trey Hendrickson held an impromptu news conference on the practice field in OTAs to tell everyone he was vastly underpaid for his skill and past production that yielded consecutive 17.5-sack seasons. This season, DJ Turner II simply said, “I’ll let my agent handle that. I’m here to play football.”

Defensively, the secondary showcased an energetic retooling, led by the fourth-year cornerback. Turner made immediate waves by stepping onto the Kettering Health Practice Fields wearing jersey No. 0, making history as the first Bengal ever to sport the number in the modern era. The assignment of the single-digit number symbolizes his standing as a major foundational pillar within Al Golden’s reshaped defense.

Turner enters the voluntary sessions facing contract extension eligibility before hitting the market. Rather than letting business negotiations serve as a distraction, he reported to camp in optimal physical shape, showcasing lightning-fast recovery speed during 11-on-11 passing packages. Coming off a productive season featuring 18 passes defended and a pair of interceptions, Turner is translating his athletic traits into a vocal, locking-down perimeter presence.His presence is a major luxury for an organization currently experimenting with a variety of defensive back alignments. With Dax Hill taking perimeter and slot reps, Turner’s maturity allows the coaching staff creative freedom.

Turner’s attitude and mentality received a vital tuneup in the offseason, when he visited India for a couple of weeks. He toured the country and spent time better understanding and appreciating meditation. He spoke highly of how much this helped with his mental approach returning this week and why he wanted to be with his teammates, even though no one would blame him for sitting out until a contract extension is completed.

The enthusiasm Turner displays on every rep signals a cornerback room ready to match the offensive intensity blow for blow.

Then there’s the perseverance of tight end Erick All Jr. Zac Taylor made it clear this week, they believe All has recovered from his knee surgeries of 2024-25 and is quietly laying down the foundation for an impactful debut season as a three-tool tight end. OTAs serve as a critical mental and physical runway for the young tight end, who is fully immersing himself in Taylor’s intricate playbook.The Phase Three sessions allow All to line up against live defensive looks for the first time without the physical wear-and-tear of live contact. All went through an awful experience with his first ACL repair in 2023 at Iowa. He suffered a non-contact ACL tear in Nov. 2024 and had surgery weeks later, only to discover that initial surgery was needed to not repair the ACL but clean up the previous procedure. He had to wait another three months and then doctors went back in and fully repaired the ACL, which knocked him out for the entire 2025 season. All is committed to not giving up on his career and being the impact player he feels he can be in the Bengals offense.

Working closely with veteran Drew Sample and fellow tight end Jack Endries, All is using the post-practice periods to refine his footwork and block adjustments. He’s making all the cuts and running all the routes. His developmental path is bolstered by the presence of Burrow, Chase, and Higgins. Instead of catching passes from backup quarterbacks, All was receiving direct instruction and immediate feedback from the starting signal-caller. This elite environment accelerates his transition, putting him in a prime position to challenge for meaningful, versatile snaps when training camp commences.

Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, DJ Turner and Erick All Jr. All four players providing their own inspiration inside the Bengal locker room. Forget the multi-million dollar refurbishing before the 2025 season. This season, the locker room karma was throughly scrubbed and rebuilt and the attitude of those four players is a clear and obvious indication of real change.

From the veterans, to the stars, to the younger players entering their prime due contract extensions to the coaches, everyone understands the urgency and the focus necessary to finally get this organization over the top. Will it translate into performance? We won’t know that until they start playing games in September. But the unity is there. The approach on the outside is certainly there. The belief is there in the locker room when you look around and see Dexter Lawrence II, Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Ted Karras, Orlando Brown Jr., Amarius Mims, DJ Turner, Bryan Cook, Boye Mafe and Jonathan Allen. Leaders and Super Bowl karma, galore.

The players focused on championships over business talks.The tone is entirely deliberate. The veterans understand that their championship window is wide open, and the front office reinforced that reality by aggressively trading for veteran defensive line anchors.

This synergy between management’s aggression and the roster’s execution has supercharged the team’s culture.The Bengals are flying around the field, celebrating spectacular plays, and holding each other accountable. By removing the drama and injecting pure, unadulterated energy into the facility, Cincinnati is signaling to the rest of the league – and themselves – that they are entirely focused on a Lombardi Trophy.