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The Cincinnati Bengals have had an interesting offseason regarding all of their pass rushers, and first-round pick Shemar Stewart is right at the top of the list. The Bengals took a chance on the Texas A&M product and selected Stewart with the No. 17 overall pick in the first round, but he has yet to report to the team.
Stewart is till unsigned and is holding out while he waits to get what he wants on his rookie contract. The saga initially started out as somewhat of a random inconvenience, but it has now dragged on and is continuing with training camp on the horizon.
On Monday, Bengals executive Duke Tobin sent a stern message to Stewart just two days before Cincinnati gets its training camp underway on Wednesday.
“He needs to be here. I would encourage him to be here,” Tobin said, via Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team. “He’s listening to the advice he’s paying for (from his agents). I don’t understand the advice … We’re treating him fairly.”
The money is not the holdup with Stewart's contract, but rather some of the language regarding disciplinary scenarios in his deal.
“Bengals owner Mike Brown explained that the holdup in getting Shemar Stewart signed isn't about money, but rather about contract guarantees in extreme disciplinary scenarios,” Meirov wrote. “Stewart’s agent is pushing for the deal to remain fully guaranteed even if Stewart were to commit a serious violation — something (hypothetically) as severe as going to prison. Brown noted that while he doesn’t believe that will ever happen, it’s the sticking point that’s delaying the deal.”
The former Aggie was a very polarizing draft prospect and slid a little bit below his projected range, allowing the Bengals to take him in the late teens. Stewart has incredible physical tools and athleticism that left scouts enamored by his potential, but his lackluster production during his time in college left room for pause.
Star defensive end Trey Hendrickson has also been holding out while he awaits a new contract with the Bengals, so Cincinnati's defensive line has been a bit alienated this offseason. Hendrickson led the NFL with 17.5 sacks last season and was the lone bright spot on a porous Bengals defense last season, so it's no surprise that he is asking for a big number.
While it is looking unlikely, the Bengals will be hoping to have both of their projected starting defensive ends at camp with resolved contract situations very soon.
