The long and arduous wait for Shemar Stewart ended last Friday as he came to terms with the Cincinnati Bengals. The 17th overall pick and the team met in the middle on an improved payout language that made him comfortable signing and being with his teammates. The front office moved $500,000 of Stewart’s signing bonus and paid it up front, instead of paying it in December. Now, with the drama behind him, Stewart must quickly catch up and learn to adjust to life in the NFL with the full support of the orange and black behind him. The hope is that the former Aggie is a quick learner because the Bengals are counting on him to contribute to a pass rush that badly needs juice in 2025 and beyond.
Shemar Stewart Hopes to Catch Up in Training Camp Quickly
Risky Business
The Bengals’ first-round pick comes with a high risk, and the team hopes he will provide a high reward, as he immediately impressed defensive coordinator Al Golden. Following the selection, Golden was asked what stands out about Stewart, and he noted, “The overall athleticism, his effort, and his play style, his relentlessness. If there’s a word we want to define our defense with, we want guys that are relentless on all snaps. I think Shemar fits that to a T.”
While Stewart didn’t have a productive career from a sack perspective, he was a master in providing pressure to opposing quarterbacks, which Golden alluded to. The former Aggie will occasionally bookend Trey Hendrickson to garner more juice on the edges, so the interior of the defensive line can be more effective. Stewart has tremendous size and athleticism, and Cincinnati will waste no time in getting him in a rotation with incumbents Joseph Ossai and Myles Murphy.
First Impressions
New defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery wasted no time getting Stewart fully immersed in the installation process on his very first day of camp, and said, “He’s got a lot of jobs we’ll ask him to do, it’s going to be a process. He hasn’t done any work or any fundamental stuff. But he has a lot of characteristics to work with. I’m excited about that. He’ll be fine.”
5 observations from Day 4 of #Bengals camp:
1. Great to get an up-close reminder that Shemar Stewart is 6’5, 267 lbs and ran a 4.59 40-yard dash with a 40″ vertical jump.
“This guy is special,” said former college teammate McKinnley Jackson. “He’s like a freaking bullet train.” pic.twitter.com/bd5XJK1fpl— Dan Hoard (@Dan_Hoard) July 27, 2025
Straight speed is Stewart’s calling card, and he will need to work on his bend and hand placement if he’s to be successful at the next level. Cincinnati will put him on the fast track, but he’ll need to work his way up the depth chart throughout camp and the preseason.
Learning is Fundamental
The learning curve in the NFL is steep for those coming from college. Every player you go up against is trying to win on every rep they take. Stewart has a great support system behind him, as head coach Zac Taylor has built one of the best locker room cultures in the league. Bengals players are a bonded group that will push the prized rookie in the right direction. All of Bengaldom hopes it’s to places they’ve been dreaming of.
Main Photo: Albert Cesare/The Enquirer-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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