In a contentious offseason between first-round draft pick Shemar Stewart and the Cincinnati Bengals, the two sides still can’t reach an agreement on the structure of a contract.
All but two rookies have signed their rookie deals and are ready to contribute to their team’s success. The only two holdouts are Jacksonville’s Travis Hunter and Stewart for the Bengals.
The good news is that history tells us when exactly we should expect Stewart to sign his rookie deal, and that time is not now. However, it also lets us know when we should start to worry.
We’ve seen this kind of rookie situation in Cincinnati before
Last season, the 31st first-round rookie to sign his contract was Dallas Turner of the Minnesota Vikings. The rookie edge rusher was selected 17th overall by the Vikings. His contract took some time to finalize due to details surrounding contract language. Sound familiar?
Turner signed his contract on July 21st, the same day that the Vikings’ rookies reported to training camp. He did not miss any time and would go on to record three sacks, three tackles for loss, 12 pressures, and an interception in his rookie season.
Now, do you recall who was the last first-rounder to sign his rookie deal in 2024? Of course you do.
But just as a reminder, the 18th overall pick, Amarius Mims, signed his contract on July 22nd, one day after the rookies reported to Bengals camp.
Mims got his first start at right tackle against the Carolina Panthers in Week 4. He has been the starter ever since.
Mims had a decent season. Pro Football Focus graded him 96th out of 140 tackles last season. So there is room for improvement. But when forced into action, Mims stepped up, while free agent acquisition Trent Brown limped out.
Turner’s and Mims’ placement in the draft, combined with Turner’s position and the nature of their contract dispute, gives us a good idea of when we should expect Stewart to sign his contract.
Bold prediction
Despite no official dates yet announced, expect Cincinnati’s rookies to report on or near July 20th. That is when you should expect Stewart to report to camp.
So mark it in your calendars. Cincinnati’s 2025 first-round draft pick, Shemar Stewart, will sign his contract on July 21st. If he does not sign by the 22nd, then we can start to worry about his contributions for the Bengals in the 2025 NFL season.
That is, if you were not worried about his potential contributions to begin with.