The Cincinnati Bengals' decision to use the No. 17 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft on Texas A&M pass rusher Shemar Stewart was questionable at the time, and it's aged worse than curdled milk in the College Station sun.
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler is reporting that it would be "surprising" if the Bengals don't receive any interest in Stewart as a trade chip ahead of the deadline. Cincinnati clearly has little interest in holding him as a franchise cornerstone, as he is now buried in the pass rush rotation.
The Bengals might be able to recoup some assets for Stewart, but trading him would also put the nail in the coffin for what has been a singularly disappointing tenure in Cincinnati. Perhaps someone else will have the skills needed to make him worthwhile.
Bengals may get trade interest in disappointing first-round pick Shemar Stewart
Stewart was picked No. 17 overall based almost entirely on his athleticism and measurables, as he had a startling lack of production in college. In three seasons at Texas A&M, he tallied just 4.5 sacks, piling up 1.5 sacks in each season. Of those 4.5 sacks, 2.0 of them came against Bowling Green, Sam Houston State, and one of the worst Auburn teams ever.
Stewart has played just 17 defensive snaps this season, recording one of his two NFL sacks. He has exemplary NFL size and quickness, but he is still lacking a plan as a pass rusher when he can't win on physicality alone. When paired with more talent around him, Stewart has faded into obscurity.
Even after losing Trey Hendrickson to the division rival Baltimore Ravens in free agency, Cincinnati's defensive line is much better with Stewart all but exiled. In addition to Dexter Lawrence's quality performance at defensive tackle. Free agent signing Boye Mafe has looked the part, and second-round rookie (and Aggie teammate) Cashius Howell has looked better almost instantly.
Shemar Stewart failing is a bad look for the Cincinnati Bengals
Assigning the blame pie for Stewart's failures is a mixed bag. On the one hand, the Bengals reached for a player who was going to be an immense developmental undertaking, and he may actually be regressing at this point. Why take someone who needs this much polish, and then abandon the plan after some early stumbles?
On the other hand, there are some issues down to Stewart himself simply not being good enough to be a quality defensive end in the pros. Occam's Razor is having a field day with the Stewart case study, as a player who was incapable of being a disruptive college player is facing a similar hurdle in the NFL.
When paired with the whole contract negotiation snafu that got his Bengals career off on the wrong foot, Stewart just hasn't meshed well from the start. He may need a fresh start to get his career back on track, but there is an equally valid future wherein he never gets what he needs to thrive in the pros.
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