Texas A&M Aggies edge rusher and Cincinnati Bengals rookie Shemar Stewart was the talk of the NFL after holding out from rookie minicamp.
Bengals defensive end Shemar Stewart looks on during the Bengals Rookie Mini Camp on Friday, May 9, 2025, at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati. / Albert Cesare/The Cincinnati Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Texas A&M Aggies alum and Cincinnati Bengals first-round pick Shemar Stewart was the talk of the NFL over the weekend, due to his decision not to sign his rookie contract.
As a result, Stewart was quickly and heavily criticized across the media landscape despite the full knowledge of the situation being known.
But now, according to NFL insider Mike Florio, the situation has become much more clear, and he believes it is in fact the Bengals, and not Stewart, who should be shouldering the majority of the blame.
Cincinnati Bengals first-round draft pick Shemar Stewart and head coach Zac Taylor / Frank Bowen IV/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
“Despite the criticism he has received from some, it was absolutely the right move,” Florio said. “Given the ease with which rookie deals are now negotiated, no player should set foot on a practice field without the security that comes from the finalization of his rookie deal. There’s no reason for the team to force any player to assume even the slightest amount of risk. For first-round picks, all four years are fully guaranteed. Once the player signs, the injury risk shifts to the team. Where it should be, if the player is going to be practicing with the team.”
So what exactly did the Bengals do wrong that caused Stewart to rebuke the original contract put forth by the team?
Per Florio, the Bengals attempted to pay Stewart a smaller training camp roster bonus percentage – which is a major component of the player’s future pay – than the 2024 No. 17 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, former Alabama edge and current Minnesota Viking, Dallas Turner.
And if the Bengals can simply make this small contract fix, this situation would quickly be resolved.
“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,” Florio said. “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. It’s a simple fix. Match or beat the percentage from 2024, and the deal gets done. And Stewart shows up.”
Whether or not the Bengals budge on this issue remains to be seen.
But if they want to get their first-round pick on the field and practicing with the rest of the team, they will have to come to a compromise and pay Stewart what he logically deserves.
