Cincinnati Bengals Owner Mike Brown Gives Flimsy Explanation Of Unique Contract Language Holding Up Shemar Stewart’s Deal

Cincinnati Bengals Owner Mike Brown Gives Flimsy Explanation Of Unique Contract Language Holding Up Shemar Stewart’s Deal
BroBible BroBible

Cincinnati Bengals owner Mike Brown commented on rookie first round pick Shemar Stewart refusing to sign his rookie contract and the language in the deal that’s being contested.

The hold-up in Shemar Stewart, the 17th overall pick in this year’s NFL draft, signing his contract stems from a non-standard clause that the Cincinnati Bengals put in his contract that stipulates they would be able to void all future guarantees if Stewart commits a certain offense, such as conduct detrimental to the team, etc.

Amarius Mims, whom the Bengals drafted in 2024, had a similar clause in his contract, which team owner Mike Brown says is to protect the team from being on the hook of having to pay guaranteed money to a player who winds up in jail.

Mims’ clause, however, had language that only voided one season at a time, while Stewart’s clause would void all future guarantees if he defaults in a season.

Cincinnati Bengals owner Mike Brown addresses Shemar Stewart’s contract holdout

“A very peculiar thing. It’s not about money. It’s about the guarantee in the case of if he were to do something contrary to the discipline levels of the league,” Brown told reporters.

“I don’t think that’s going to happen ever. That’s what’s holding it up. It’s never happened as long as I can remember. His agent wants it to be if he acted in a terrible fashion — this is all hypothetical — something that rises to the level of going to prison, we’d be on the line for the guarantee.”

“We’re sitting here arguing over something that is pretty remote, I ask myself sometimes why the hell we’re doing it, but we are and he’s doing it too and at some point, we’ve got to put this stuff behind.”

Mike Brown spoke for more than 2 minutes about Shemar Stewart situation. pic.twitter.com/1Df7axv8Dd

— Joe Danneman (@FOX19Joe) July 21, 2025

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler also reported that the contract being proposed by the Bengals would see Stewart get a worse bonus pay structure than Minnesota’s Dallas Turner, who was selected in the same slot in the previous NFL Draft.

“It’s clear that Shemar, based on precedent, feels like he can’t take the Bengals’ deal right now,” Fowler reported.

“From my understanding of the language and the contract, they’re essentially, in some areas, asking him to take a pay decrease from where last year’s number 17 pick, Dallas Turner in Minnesota, got with certain bonuses. Usually those numbers go up every year, as far as the percentage guarantee. His, to my understanding, was going down. So that’s problematic, and it’s something he isn’t willing to accept.”

Stewart, an edge-rusher, played his college football at Texas A&M University and is currently training with the Aggies as he explores the possibility of returning to the school next season and re-entering the NFL Draft in 2026.

The post [Cincinnati Bengals Owner Mike Brown Gives Flimsy Explanation Of Unique Contract Language Holding Up Shemar...