While Cincinnati Bengals fans eagerly await news on the Trey Hendrickson contract front, the team is sure happy to have resolved things with another pass rusher: rookie Shemar Stewart. Stewart at one point was the last first round pick to have not signed his contract with the team that drafted him, but eventually the sides were able to come to an agreement and he has been a full participant in camp ever since.
Recently, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor spoke on Stewart's ability as a pass rusher that has been on display at training camp so far.
“Physical player — he's got great burst, great twitch,” Taylor said, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. “So excited to see him evolve.”
Fowler also noted that Stewart's “ability popped during the day I was here, with back-to-back pass deflections to rile up the rest of the defense.”
He also pointed out that “the Bengals have been careful not to overload the rookie early, but he's answered the call since settling his contract dispute.”
An interesting Bengals defense
Even with Trey Hendrickson in the lineup last year, the Bengals' defense was the main reason they missed the playoffs altogether despite an outstanding season from quarterback Joe Burrow.
The Bengals' notoriously cheap ownership group has let several key players on the defense walk out the door in recent years, including safety Jessie Bates, among others.
If the team is eventually able to get a deal worked out with Hendrickson, the combination of he and Stewart could be enough to turn the Bengals' defensive line into at least a formidable, if not elite, unit heading into the 2025 season.
There would still be concerns about the team's secondary, which left quite a bit to be desired last year, but it would at least be a step in the right direction for Cincinnati, and that improvement, combined with another stellar year from Burrow and the offense, could be enough to get the Bengals back in the playoff mix for the first time since 2022-23.
However, the first step in such a proposition is getting Hendrickson signed to a new extension, which has not happened as of yet.
