Promising Shemar Stewart injury update teases an imminent Bengals breakout

Whether one could call Shemar Stewart a boon to the Cincinnati Bengals' atypically stacked defensive line rotation is a matter of taste, a bit of speculation, and one's personal convictions in the 2025 first-round pick's immense upside.

That's a long introductory sentence for our boy Shemar. Such an enigma wrapped in a riddle as he deserves that fashion of complex assessment.

Injuries obscured Stewart's rookie campaign, which looked downright disastrous when he was healthy enough to be out there. We're talking about a historic athlete who had only 4.5 sacks in three seasons at Texas A&M, and managed only one in seven games last year.

After yet another injury in training camp, Stewart's outlook for 2026 looked murky at best. Now, all of a sudden, as of Thursday's injury report via The Athletic's Paul Dehner Jr., the 22-year-old athletic marvel could make his season debut.

Shemar goes full go in practice, and is ready to play 'a solid 30' snaps in Week 2

Over the last two days, Shemar Stewart was a full participant in Bengals practices. That bodes well for his chances to suit up and see action in Sunday's showdown with the Texans in Houston.

For his part, Stewart is eager to hit the field, as he told reporters in the locker room, via CLNSCincy.com's Mike Petragila:

"I'm very anxious. Sometimes it's hard watching the party from outside. I just want to work my way back in there. I just want to earn it. ... So we just put in our full effort in making sure we get better each and every day, and be the players the team needs on Sunday."

Although rookie second-round pick and Stewart's ex-Aggies teammate Cashius Howell is firmly in the defensive end mix as well, Howell is more of a "Viper" hybrid defender who backs up Boye Mafe at that spot. Stewart is a more straightforward, aggressively edge-setting, pure bull-rushing defender in the mold of Myles Murphy, who he'd play predominant second fiddle to.

Should Cincinnati unleash Stewart, or play it safe?

If you ask me, the more fresh bodies the Bengals can throw at the Texans, the better. Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud folded like a cheap suit under duress in the playoffs when he threw four INTs against the Patriots.

Assuming Shemar Stewart lines up most of the time opposite ex-Bengal and Amarius Mims' brief, behemoth predecessor, Trent Brown, I feel like he could get a couple clean wins on pure quickness to make some splash plays. So if Stewart feels good enough to play a starter's share of snaps, why not let him at least get half that run or thereabouts?

And I really don't say that facetiously. I love me some Cedric Johnson, but if Stewart is meant to capitalize on his plutonium-grade potential, he needs on-field reps in the worst way.

Perhaps being back in the Lone Star State could bring up some good vibes for Stewart. After all, he did show enough as a collegian to be a first-round draft pick. His raw athleticism, combined with any modicum of improvement he achieved technique-wise in his offseason prior to the camp injury, could be a lethal combination and a change-up the Texans' offensive line isn't quite prepared to handle.

Just a reminder: This is the physical tool set who could soon be pulling off stunts alongside the likes of Dexter Lawrence and Jonathan Allen in the trenches:

I mean...sign me up for this. If Sexy Dexy, Allen, Mafe, and Howell can help elevate linebackers Barrett Carter and Demetrius Knight Jr., imagine what any combination of them in tandem with Stewart could do to help unlock Shemar's game.

Even if the wait is a week longer to see Stewart in action again at Pittsburgh, it's just nice to know he's on the mend and trending in a great direction. Would love to see him put it all together, because Cincinnati's d-line would be that much scarier.

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