NFL Trade Rumors
According to Kelsey Conway, the Bengals still have not figured out their contract dispute with first-round DE Shemar Stewart and he will not participate in mandatory minicamp this week.
He’s not under contract so he’s not subject to any fines from the team for missing minicamp. Stewart has yet to take the field for Cincinnati since being drafted due to issues with the proposed contract from the team.
Rookie contract disputes have become far rarer after the league instituted a wage scale that slots all draft pick contracts. However, higher draft picks have a few points they can negotiate on still.
Conway previously reported Stewart wants his contract to reflect the same language as the last two Bengals first-round picks, both of which were taken lower than No. 17 overall. Until then, he’s not practicing.
Per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the talks have been held up because of disagreements regarding the percentage of compensation in future years paid as a training-camp roster bonus. Florio adds the numbers the team offered would be a lower percentage in future years than what Stewart would receive for this season.
Stewart, 21, was a five-star recruit who was the ninth-ranked player and the third-ranked defensive lineman in the 2022 recruiting class. He committed to Texas A&M and became a full-time starter in his junior year, earning third-team All-SEC honors.
The Bengals selected Stewart with the No. 17 overall pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. He’s projected to sign a four-year, $18,942,634 contract that includes a $10,416,460 signing bonus. The contract includes a fifth-year option for the team to pick up in 2028.
In his collegiate career, Stewart appeared in 37 games for Texas A&M and recorded 30 total tackles, four passes defended, one forced fumble, two recoveries, and 4.5 sacks.
We’ll have more on the Bengals and Stewart as the news is available.
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