NFL Trade Rumors
Amidst their lengthy contract negotiations, there has been some buzz that Bengals first-round DE Shemar Stewart could return to school if he doesn’t get what he wants in his rookie deal.
Bud Elliott of CBS News said Stewart was working out at Texas A&M and mentioned he could try to return to college football for a season. Despite this, Texas A&M HC Mike Elko shut down that idea and said there are no intentions of Stewart returning to the Aggies in 2025.
“There’s no intentions of Shemar to play for the Aggies this year,” Elko said, via ESPN’s Ben Baby. “But Shemar has been around. He’s very comfortable in our program. Really likes what we do training-wise. He’s been training, getting ready for his season this year with the Bengals. We wish him the best.”
The Bengals and Stewart are at odds because Cincinnati is changing the language regarding how guarantees can be voided and the percentage of compensation in future years paid as a training-camp roster bonus instead of in base salary. The contracts for the Bengals’ last two first-round picks did not contain the language differences, though they are a lot more common for other teams.
Stewart remains dug-in on his stance that he wants the same language the Bengals have given to their other first-round picks. It’s yet another frustrating contract situation for the Bengals, and Stewart raised eyebrows by publicly calling out the front office, which he said seemed more concerned about winning contract negotiations than games.
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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