With the Cincinnati Bengals on the verge of making a trade that sends disgruntled All-Pro pass rusher Trey Hendrickson away, Duke Tobin thought it would be best to bring in a high-ceiling replacement in Texas A&M pass rusher Shemar Stewart with the No. 17 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Stewart has provided the Bengals with as much on-field value as anyone reading this article since being drafted, as he has chosen to sit out the first portions of the team's rookie offseason workouts. A noisy situation continues to spiral out of control.
Stewart will now sit out the next phase of the offseason program due to the language of his contract not being to his liking. Despite many other unsigned rookies participating, Stewart is not willing to use a pick
The Bengals are unable to keep both their All-Pro pass rusher happy or agree to terms with the players who is expected to replace him. This situation is a classic case of that old-school Bengals mismanagement we have come to know and love.
Bengals rookie Shemar Stewart keeps sitting out minicamp due to contract squabble
Stewart was picked as high as he was due to his overall athletic ability, as his ability to run a 4.6 40-yard dash at almost 270 pounds suggests that he could be in line for a major bump in production at some point in the near future.
Stewart needs as much practice time as anyone on this roster. His athletic gifts led to 4.5 sacks over three collegiate seasons, never eclipsing more than 1.5 sacks in any given year. Of those 4.5 sacks, Stewart picked up a half-sack against FCS foe Sam Houston three years ago and one against a lowly Bowling Green offensive line this past year.
Cincinnati will always have a shot at being competitive with Joe Burrow at quarterback and their menagerie of skill position players, but the Bengals won't be able to make some noise in the AFC unless they are able to turn around what was one of the worst defenses in the entire league.
Stewart, should he finally find all the puzzle pieces he needs to make it all click on the field, can play a big part in getting this unit turned around. However, he can't do it sitting on the sidelines, all while his fellow draftees start to get their feet wet in the early stages of their offseason plan.