According to Kelsey Conway, Bengals first-round DE Shemar Stewart is continuing to sit out of practice while his agent negotiates his rookie contract with the team.
Conway says Stewart wants his contract to reflect the same language as the last two Bengals first-round picks, both of which were taken lower than No. 17 overall. Until then, he’s not practicing.
Rookie contract disputes have become far rarer after the league instituted a wage scale that slots all draft pick contracts. However, higher draft picks have a few points they can negotiate on still.
Per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the talks have been held up because of disagreements regarding the percentage of compensation in future years paid as a training-camp roster bonus. Florio adds the numbers the team offered would be a lower percentage in future years than what Stewart would receive for this season.
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.
The post Bengals DE Shemar Stewart Still Not Practicing Due To Contract Dispute appeared first on NFLTradeRumors.co.