The contract drama never ends for the Cincinnati Bengals. While they managed to sign star wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to long-term deals earlier this offseason, they still haven't managed to find common ground with 2024 sack leader Trey Hendrickson. And to make matters worse, they have a new contract situation that needs to get handled with their 2025 first-round draft pick Shemar Stewart.

The No. 17 pick in the draft, Stewart has yet to sign his rookie deal with the Bengals, and he's taken aim at the front office when speaking to the media about the situation. Initially, Stewart showed up to Cincinnati's mandatory minicamp this week and was participating in team activities. However, he reportedly left minicamp on Thursday, adding more drama for a team that already had no shortage of it.

“Cincinnati’s unsigned first-round draft pick Shemar Stewart now has left mandatory minicamp, per source,” Adam Schefter of ESPN reported. “Stewart had been attending team activities, but without a signed contract and with the Bengals asking for certain clauses, no longer.”

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Bengals' Shemar Stewart situation takes a turn for the worse

Bengals 2025 draft pick Shemar Stewart (97).
© Phil Didion/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.

After signing Chase, Higgins, and quarterback Joe Burrow to long-term contract extensions, money is tough to come by for Cincinnati's front office. Extending Hendrickson was already a tough proposition, but with Stewart throwing a hissy fit over his rookie deal, it's created another problem for the team to deal with, especially now that he has departed mandatory minicamp early.

Where the Bengals front office goes from here remains to be seen, but this is precisely what the team did not need ahead of the new season. The offseason may be winding down, but Cincinnati is still working overtime in an effort to find a way to keep Stewart, Hendrickson, and everyone else happy as they attempt to find their way back to the Super Bowl in 2025.