Cincinnati Bengals rookies are scheduled to report for training camp on July 19. Given first-round pick Shemar Stewart’s current position with the team, should Bengals fans expect him to show up?
The answer is no; he won’t enter Paycor Stadium until he signs his contract and becomes an employee of the club. NFL rules state that rookies must have a signed contract to show up and participate in training camp. This is different than in the voluntary offseason program where Stewart was able to be present for practice and participate in meetings without a signed contract.
Stewart and the Bengals’ contract saga dates back to May when the rookie refused to sign his contract and the participation waiver which would have allowed him to practice while finalizing his deal. The reason was Stewart didn’t believe Cincinnati’s waiver would protect him enough based on the language in the document. He was the only first-round pick from this year’s draft class to not participate in the offseason program.
One thing led to another, and Stewart ended up sitting out the entire offseason program, including mandatory minicamp. Stewart was present for meetings and watched practice from the sidelines but has yet to take a snap with his new team.
“Very disappointing because I thought they wanted to get me out there to see what I could do,” Stewart said of his situation with the Bengals.
It’s crunch time for the Bengals and Shemar Stewart.
Rookies are set to report on Saturday & there’s been no progress on the deal getting done. Stewart can’t practice w/out a contract.
Here is the latest update: pic.twitter.com/T540ts783V
— Kelsey Conway (@KelseyLConway) July 16, 2025
The Bengals want to set a precedent with their rookie contracts that allows the team the ability to void future guarantees if a player defaults. While this type of language isn’t uncommon in the NFL with several other teams implementing it in their contracts, it’s new for the Bengals.
Cincinnati’s first-round pick in 2024, Amarius Mims, doesn’t have the clause in his contract, and neither does Myles Murphy who was selected in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft.
Stewart is requesting his contract mirror the language of Mims’ as he was taken a pick before Mims (No. 18 overall) in the NFL draft. Stewart says he isn’t asking for anything he doesn’t deserve and that to him it is the contract that all of the other Bengals’ first-round picks received.
The Bengals and Stewart’s negotiations have gotten so contentious that the No. 17 overall pick at one point called out the team’s desire to win arguments more than win games. Stewart is the only first-round pick who has yet to sign his rookie contract.
“I’m not asking for nothing y’all (the team) has never done before,” Stewart said this spring. “But in y’all (the team’s) case, y’all (the team) just want to win arguments (more) than winning more games.”
Stewart publicly stated his disappointment with the team several times this offseason. He at times this offseason said he couldn’t believe that he wasn’t practicing.
When the Bengals selected Stewart, the vision was for him to be an impact player and compete for a starting job opposite Trey Hendrickson right away. Neither Stewart nor Hendrickson participated in the Bengals’ offseason and it seems unlikely either will until their contract situations get resolved.
Time is running out for the Bengals to get this situation resolved with Stewart so he can be with the team when training camp starts on July 23. Both sides need to be willing to come to the negotiating table willing to compromise and that has yet to happen to this point.
