Ladies and gentlemen, Shemar Stewart has left the building.
The Cincinnati Bengals’ first-round pick left mandatory minicamp Thursday as his contract dispute with the Bengals continues, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
According to Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer, part of the USA TODAY Network, the Bengals are attempting to change the language in new rookie contracts to ‘allow the team to void future guarantees.’ Conway reported that Stewart’s camp is asking for his contract language to look the same as it did for defensive end Myles Murphy and right tackle Amarius Mims, the team’s previous two first-round picks.
It has been a month and a half since Cincinnati drafted Stewart, an edge rusher out of Texas A&M, with the 17th overall pick. Stewart has yet to participate in any practices – through rookie minicamp, OTAs and now mandatory minicamp – as the two sides have stalled in contract negotiations. Despite not practicing, the former Aggie had been in attendance at the team’s offseason training programs prior to Thursday’s departure from minicamp.
ESPN’s Jordan Reid pointed out in a social media post that Stewart has the option of re-entering the 2026 NFL Draft. But to do so, the 21-year-old edge rusher would have to sit out for one year, potentially losing the money he’s set to earn as a first-round pick and missing out on a year of development.
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor called Stewart’s holdout situation a learning experience for him and some of the other players in a media availability session after Thursday’s practice.
‘There’s a first for everything,’ Taylor said. ‘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.’
While Stewart continues to wait to take his first on-field reps with the rest of the team, Taylor has continued to try to put a positive spin on things. Among them, the fact that Stewart has been present in off-field meetings and activities means he is still getting important lessons for his development.
‘I think for all the rookies, you’d like them to be out on the field,’ Taylor said, ‘but certainly, there’s things that happen over the course of an NFL career, and this is one of them right now.
‘He’s been in the meetings, he’s been positive in that way. He’s been learning. He’s a good learner. We look forward to getting him back on the field quickly.’
Stewart is not the only disgruntled edge rusher holding out from Bengals offseason workouts.
Hendrickson is set to become a free agent after the 2025 season. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday that he and the Bengals have made ‘no progress’ on a multiyear contract, and the defensive end has not reported for any of minicamp.