Shemar Stewart, the 17th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, has left the Cincinnati Bengals’ minicamp, as he and the team remain in conflict over his rookie contract.
On Thursday morning, Adam Schefter reported that the defensive end had exited the mandatory minicamp due to his impasse with the team. Stewart has been present through the minicamp, though he has avoided on-field work amidst the frustrating negotiations.
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Stewart’s departure was not in violation of any rules, as he is not under contract with the Bengals. Pro Football Talk reported that an obscure clause potentially jeopardizing the latter years of his four-year rookie deal caused the standoff. Mike Florio notes that the team is “trying to change their usual language regarding the voiding of guarantees to extend the consequences of a default in the current year to all future years.”
The 21-year-old insisted that his contract language should not be any different than tackle Amarius Mims, who was the Bengals’ first-round pick last year. It was also noted that Stewart was drafted higher than Mims, who was picked 18th.
“I’m 100% 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, per Sports Illustrated’s Jay Morrison.
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“I’ve been doing this for most of my whole life, and then all of a sudden it’s gone over something very simple to fix,” Stewart said, per Kelsey Conway on Tuesday. “It’s kind of disappointing.”
“I can’t say what I really want to say,” Stewart said, “but it’s their contract. They can do what they want with it.”
Pro Football Talk added that his exit was not directly related to the failure to get on the same page with the front office, but an effort not to distract signed players.
When asked about the situation, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said, “There’s a first for everything.”
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“Every year, you kinda learn something new in this position, and this is just one of those things that the players have managed really well,” Taylor said.
Taylor also said his communication with Stewart has been good, and he wants the rookie on the field, per Cameron Wolfe of the NFL Network. However, Taylor is “not going to make any predictions” about when Stewart will be available.
Stewart has several options if he does not reach an agreement with the team. First, he could demand a trade before the window to trade an unsigned draft pick closes, 30 days before the season opener.
Second, he can wait until the Tuesday after Week 10 to sign with the team and play in 2025. Third, he can hold off on signing until the 2026 draft and re-enter the draft pool.
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Stewart was selected by the Bengals after tallying 32 tackles and 1.5 sacks in his final year at Texas A&M. Cincinnati finished third in the AFC North with a 9-8 record in 2024.
Stewart’s exit came after Bengals star Trey Hendrickson skipped minicamp — also due to contractual frustrations. The pass rusher sent another message to the Bengals amid the standoff, which will cost him a total of $104,768 in fines.
Hendrickson is heading into the last year of his contract and is set to make $15.8 million in base salary, according to Over The Cap. He is looking for an extension after a career-best season in which he recorded 33 tackles and an NFL-leading 17.5 sacks.
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