Cincinnati Bengals first-round pick Shemar Stewart has become the one and only unsigned player from the 2025 class to leave camp over a contract dispute.
The Athletic reports that Stewart, who has yet to participate in rookie OTAs or any other team activity, left Bengals camp on Thursday to avoid becoming a distraction to his teammates.
The heart of the issue is the language included in Stewart’s rookie deal that could “potentially void future guaranteed money,” ESPN reports.
As NBC Sports reports, “The Bengals are insisting on a contract clause saying a default by Stewart in any year of the contract would void of all his remaining guarantees. The Bengals have never insisted upon such language before; with their previous contracts, they have only made a void wipe out the guarantees for the year in which the default occurred.”
On Wednesday, Stewart left reporters with little doubt about where he stood on the issue.
“I’m 100 percent right,” Stewart asserted. “I’m not asking for nothing y’all have never done before. But in y’all case, y’all just want to win an argument instead of winning more games.”
Despite the strong words from their 17th overall pick, the Bengals appear dug in and willing to let the situation play out. Stewart will have some options, though, if Cincinnati refuses to negotiate and remove the clause.
While he won’t be able to play in the NFL in 2025 unless he plays for the Bengals, he could sit out the season and enter the 2026 NFL Draft. Stewart could also play in another professional football league. Though the UFL season comes to an end this weekend, the Canadian Football League (CFL) season has already begun.
Given the Bengals’ highly publicized squabbles with their other defensive end, Trey Hendrickson, it looks like Cincinnati will not have either of its two star pass rushers in camp anytime soon.
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