With training camp set to begin Wednesday, first-round pick Shemar Stewart has yet to report to the Cincinnati Bengals due to an ongoing contract dispute. While veteran Trey Hendrickson is still waiting on a new deal, Stewart’s holdout has drawn sharp reactions from team leadership.
The standoff centers on specific language in Stewart’s rookie contract. Bengals executive Duke Tobin voiced his frustration with the situation as camp approaches.
“I think Shemar needs to be here,” Tobin told reporters. “I’m not going to put the blame on Shemar. He’s following advice he’s paying for. But I don’t understand, believe in, or agree with that advice. If we were treating him unfairly compared to other draft picks this year, that would be different. But we’re not. I really don’t get where things stand right now.”
Stewart, the 17th overall pick in April’s draft, left the final day of mandatory minicamp without participating in workouts, citing the unresolved contract as his reason. The Texas A&M standout said he didn’t want his situation to distract teammates.
“I’m 100% right,” Stewart told reporters during minicamp. “I’m not asking for anything the Bengals haven’t done before. But it feels like they care more about winning arguments than winning games.”
Reports suggest the Bengals are attempting to adjust first-round rookie deals to include clauses that would allow them to void future guarantees under certain conditions. Stewart is pushing back, arguing his contract should not include such provisions, especially since last year’s first-rounder, Amarius Mims, didn’t have similar language in his deal. Notably, Stewart was drafted higher than Mims.
Team owner Mike Brown also addressed the holdout, calling the situation “peculiar” and clarifying it isn’t about money but about guarantees tied to disciplinary issues.
“It’s about the guarantee if he were to do something egregious,” Brown said. “I don’t believe that’s going to happen, but his agent wants us on the hook even if he did something as extreme as going to prison. I don’t want to pay a player who acts in an unacceptable way.”
As the Bengals prepare for the start of training camp on July 23, Stewart’s absence looms large. The rookie and the franchise remain at odds, and both sides are under pressure to resolve the standoff before it affects preseason preparations.
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