Don’t be surprised to see this stretch out for a bit.
The Cincinnati Bengals and first round pick Shemar Stewart made headlines when the rookie chose not to sign his contract or take the field last week.
Stewart not signing his contract isn’t huge news, as most first round picks have yet to be signed. His choosing not to take the field is more of a move you’d see from a veteran looking to secure a long-term deal.
It seems the issue may be pretty simple. That doesn’t mean we will see a deal happen quickly.
“Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the Bengals tried to get Stewart signed,” Mike Florio wrote for Pro Football Talk.”As we understand it, the talks bogged down regarding the percentage of compensation in future years to be paid as a training camp roster bonus. The training camp roster bonus has become a device for putting a sizable chunk of the player’s pay in his pockets in future years, early in the season. In this case, the numbers offered by the Bengals reflected a lower percentage than the 17th overall pick received in 2024.”
A vast majority of rookie deals are predetermined before the player is even selected. We know Stewart will have a four-year deal worth roughly $19 million. This is one of the few things to be negotiated, which effectively impacts when a player gets his money more than anything.
In case you were curious, Cincinnati didn’t sign Amarius Mims Jr. (The No. 18th overall pick) until the 17th overall pick was signed. It is hard to imagine this gets resolved prior to that happening again this season. That means looking for the Cardinals to sign Walter Nolen as the real turning point for negotiations.
It is hard to tell how far apart the two sides are currently, but it would be fruitful for both sides to get Stewart out there ASAP.
Players will return to the field today, but practice will not be open to the media until Tuesday. It is hard to imagine Stewart reversing his decision not to step on the field until he has that deal signed, but we have seen stranger things.