The rookie pass rusher looked far more polished than anyone predicted.

The Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns were locked in an ugly AFC North defensive battle.

Then cornerback DJ Turner picked off quarterback Joe Flacco to effectively end the game.

Rookie pass rusher Shemar Stewart was delighted by the outcome.

“Man, it felt great,” Stewart said. “I’m like, ‘We’ve got this one in the bag. Let’s go home, baby!’”

Shemar Stewart: “We’ve got this one in the bag! Lets go home baby!”

Will the run into the end zone to celebrate DJ Turner’s game-sealing INT signal the Bengals 2024 defensive nightmare is a thing of the past?

Time will tell. But it’s a heck of a start. pic.twitter.com/mx4XdxqQ2l

— Charlie Clifford (@char_cliff) September 7, 2025

And Stewart certainly played a big role in the victory.

For a guy who was supposed to be a project, he looked polished on a number of plays, finishing with the second best win rate of all rookie defensive linemen in Week 1, three QB hurries, and a Pro Football Focus grade of 83.2, the third best on the Bengals’ defense.

Shemar Stewart in Week 1 vs the Browns:

26.1% pass rush win rate (2nd best among rookie DL)
3 QB hurries
41.7% positively graded play rate vs the run

He played disciplined, sound football and his PFF grade (83.2) was 3rd-best on the defensive side.

— Andrew Russell (@Andrew_Russell7) September 8, 2025

And he even helped stop the run, with 41.7% of his play against the run being positively graded.

Shemar Stewart locks-out, sets the edge, the closes the gap. Excellent job. #Bengals pic.twitter.com/pLR277lJaL

— Santori Miles (@Cincy_Suave2) September 8, 2025

Stewart is far ahead of where most thought he’d be at this point, which is incredibly encouraging considering his athletic profile is off the charts. Once he puts it all together, he’ll be a nightmare for opposing offenses.