Bengals first-round DE Shemar Stewart remains embroiled in a contract dispute with the team over the language in his rookie deal.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter suggested during a recent media appearance the Bengals may eventually have to give in to the demands of their first-round pick.
“I think he’s dug in on the language”, Schefter said on the Rothman and Ice Show. “He doesn’t want to be the first one and be made an example of. The Bengals haven’t had this language before. Other teams have had it, but the Bengals haven’t, and he doesn’t want to be the guy. He seems unwilling to budge”.
Rookie contract disputes have become far rarer after the league instituted a wage scale a decade and a half ago that slots all draft pick contracts. However, higher draft picks have a few points they can negotiate on still.
The Bengals and Stewart are at odds because Cincinnati is changing the language regarding how guarantees can be voided and the percentage of compensation in future years paid as a training-camp roster bonus instead of in base salary. The contracts for the Bengals’ last two first-round picks did not contain the language differences.
The dispute cost Stewart all of OTAs and the mandatory minicamp. Because he’s unsigned, he’s not subject to fines for missing minicamp, but his preference is still to be getting ready to hit the ground running this upcoming season. However, Stewart noted he has the support of the locker room, including some of the star players.
It’s yet another frustrating contract situation for the Bengals to be dug in on, and Stewart raised eyebrows by publicly calling out the front office, which he said seemed more concerned about winning contract negotiations than games.
Stewart, 21, was a five-star recruit who was the ninth-ranked player and the third-ranked defensive lineman in the 2022 recruiting class. He committed to Texas A&M and became a full-time starter in his junior year, earning third-team All-SEC honors.
The Bengals selected Stewart with the No. 17 overall pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. He’s projected to sign a four-year, $18,942,634 contract that includes a $10,416,460 signing bonus. The contract includes a fifth-year option for the team to pick up in 2028.
In his collegiate career, Stewart appeared in 37 games for Texas A&M and recorded 30 total tackles, four passes defended, one forced fumble, two recoveries, and 4.5 sacks.
We’ll have more on the Bengals and Stewart as the news is available.
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