The Cincinnati Bengals are in an awkward situation with their top two edge rushers. Both Trey Hendrickson and Shemar Stewart are in contract disputes with the Bengals at the start of mandatory minicamp. Stewart in particular is not a fan of Cincinnati's front office, as evidenced by a recent interview.

Bengals edge rusher Shemar Stewart is not pleased with the team's front office. Jay Morrison of Sports Illustrated reports that Stewart had some choice words for the front office during an interview at mandatory minicamp.

“I'm 100 percent right. I'm not asking for nothing y'all have never done before. But in y'all case, y'all just want to win arguments (more) than winning more games,” Stewart said, referring to Cincinnati's front office.

Stewart has not participated in offseason activities as his camp argues with the Bengals over training camp bonuses in his rookie contract.

Meanwhile, Hendrickson has been seeking a lucrative contract extension with the Bengals. His negotiations with the team have not been fruitful, leading Hendrickson to threaten sitting out the 2025 season if he does not get a new deal.

It should be no surprise then that neither Hendrickson nor Stewart will practice at Bengals mandatory minicamp.

Cincinnati is widely viewed as one of the NFL's cheapest organizations. This summer's contract disputes are making those rumors look like a reality.

Will the Bengals sign Shemar Stewart or Trey Hendrickson before training camp?

Cincinnati Bengals Trey Hendrickson makes an appearance at practice, Tuesday, May 13, 2025, at Kettering Health Practice Fields in Downtown Cincinnati.
© Frank Bowen IV/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The situation looks grim for the Bengals at the start of mandatory minicamp.

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Cincinnati has aspirations of contending in the AFC this season. The Bengals are even widely viewed as a major danger to other AFC contenders.

But those same aspirations are completely undermined by the team's inability to get Hendrickson and Stewart into the building.

So will the Bengals be able to sign these players before the beginning of training camp in July?

At this point, it seems unlikely that both holdouts will end before the start of training camp.

Since Stewart's demands are much lower in the grand scheme of things, it makes sense that his contract would be resolved first. The Bengals used a first-round pick on Stewart, so they need to get him into the program ASAP. And need to avoid burning a bridge with their young rookie.

The future is more uncertain with Hendrickson, who could command north of $30 million on a new contract.

Bengals fans should keep their eyes on both of these situations throughout the summer.