It’s been weeks since Cincinnati Bengals first-round pick Shemar Stewart began his contract holdout. After standing on the sidelines and watching his teammates participate in rookie minicamp, there has been no word on a resolution with OTAs just days away. Pittsburgh Steelers fans can only sit back and laugh at the situation.
Stewart is a phenomenal athlete who projects as a better NFL player than the raw, toolsy prospect we saw at Texas A&M. But things have been a nightmare so far, and the Bengals should be kicking themselves for not drafting Derrick Harmon.
Leading up to the 2025 NFL Draft, there were whispers that Harmon was the top prospect on Cincy’s board. The Bengals’ projected starters at defensive tackle this year, B.J. Hill and T.J. Slayton, have combined for a mere 17 sacks and 25 tackles for a loss over the past four years (combined 132 games).
Thanks to injury scares, the Bengals shied away from Harmon with the 17th overall pick and opted for the more polarizing Stewart. Now they probably wish they had gone the other direction.
While Stewart is busy causing drama with his unexpected contract hold-in, Harmon is saying all the right things and is excited to get to work. Harmon was praised for his outstanding character during the pre-draft process, and his fun-loving personality has already been on full display (this was evident during his sit-down with Cam Heyward on the Not Just Football Podcast).
Pittsburgh Steelers fans should get their popcorn ready for the next chapter of the Cincinnati Bengals soap opera
The Shemar Stewart drama isn’t the only story that caused a ruckus inside the Cincinnati Bengals’ front office this offseason. Before Stewart’s decision to sit out, All-Pro edge rusher Trey Hendrickson voiced his frustration with the organization for not being willing to pay him market value.
Hendrickson earned 17.5 sacks for the Bengals in back-to-back seasons, but he’s entering the final year of his deal with a base salary of $15.8 million, and he hasn’t had a penny in guaranteed salary since 2023. No wonder Cincinnati keeps running into problems with its most valuable assets; they’re cheap.
Now the Bengals are set to kick off their OTAs (Organized Team Activities) on May 27, and the organization doesn’t appear to be any closer to a resolution with Hendrickson or Stewart than when they first started. This is comedy gold for Steelers fans as they can kick up their feet and watch their AFC North rival fall to pieces.
In 2024, the Cincinnati Bengals fell short of a playoff berth, not because of quarterback Joe Burrow and the offense (Burrow was an MVP candidate last year), but because of their pitiful defense—a defense that could get even worse if Hendrickson and Stewart don’t show up to practice soon.
Derrick Harmon would have been a slam-dunk pick for a team desperate for defensive tackle help, but Pittsburgh Steelers fans can certainly be glad that the Bengals didn’t pull the trigger to land him in the NFL Draft. Get your popcorn ready! This is going to be fun.
