The rookie is still not signed and negotiations have clearly not improved.
Back in April, the Cincinnati Bengals grabbed Shemar Stewart in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft with hopes of boosting some much-needed pass rush.
Stewart has not been practicing due to contract issues with the Bengals front office and has now left town, skipping the final day of mandatory minicamp in Cincinnati.
There are “verbiage” issues within Stewart’s contract that he wants changed to match last year’s first round pick contract, Amarius Mims.
Cincinnati’s unsigned first-round draft pick Shemar Stewart now has left mandatory minicamp, per source. Stewart had been attending team activities, but without a signed contract and with the Bengals asking for certain clauses, no longer. pic.twitter.com/qeo492Z6As
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 12, 2025
Head coach Zac Taylor commented on the situation that seems to be getting worse saying, “He wasn’t here today. So we just focus on the guys that were here. He and I have had private conversations.”
Taylor continued saying, “There’s a first for everything. Every year, you kinda learn something new in this position, and this is just one of those things that the players have managed really well. We keep the team moving, and when he jumps on the field, that’ll be great for our team.”
There are still three other first round draft picks, not including Stewart, that are currently unsigned, but the former Texas A&M Aggie is the only one not practicing.
It is clear Taylor does not want this to spill into his locker room.
“I understand when there’s some frustration there. That’s how he chose to do it. That’s his prerogative. We look forward to getting him back in the fold.”
This entire situation has continued to escalate, hopefully it’s resolved quickly, because the Bengals can not afford to have their rookie (who needs development) miss training camp before the new season.
I am a broken record at this point, but just get the contracts ironed out.