The Cincinnati Bengals are in a contract dispute with incoming rookie defensive lineman Shemar Stewart. The 17th overall pick is one of only five players from the first round who remain unsigned.
However, Stewart is the only one with his unique circumstances. The Bengals are trying to force Stewart to sign a deal allowing the team to void his contract if he engages in anything the team feels is detrimental to the team.
The Bengals Want To Have the Ability To Void a Contract Unilaterally
Stewart has pushed back, refusing to sign a deal with those terms. Rookie contracts are already locked into four years with a team option for a fifth. Salaries and bonuses are slotted, leaving teams to negotiate only on guarantees, offsets, and default clauses.
But this proposed clause would go further than any seen before. It’s not tied to specific behavior, like weight clauses or league suspensions, but would instead give the team the power to void the contract for any reason they interpret as harmful. That would be a major shift in how rookie contracts are handled and potentially violate the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement.
For his part, Stewart is standing firm and has refused to practice until the contract language is changed. He has told multiple sources that he wants his contract to have language consistent with past agreements.
Former offensive lineman Mark Schlereth and commentator Craig Carton addressed the situation on “Breakfast Ball” on FS1.
“Of course it’s a bad look for the Bengals,” Schlereth said. “One, Trey Hendricksen, your best defensive player, is not signed … but your first-round draft choice. You can’t come to an agreement on a contract that is completely slotted because of — what — the language you want to get over on the player? It’s just a bad look for the Bengals and how they do business.”
.@markschlereth and @craigcartonlive SOUND OFF the Bengals for their contract dispute with 1st-round pick Shemar Stewart ⬇️
“It’s a bad look for the Bengals and how they do business.” — Mark
Craig: “He has every right not to sign that deal!” pic.twitter.com/zEMEE79Huv
— Breakfast Ball (@BrkfstBallOnFS1)
“He has every right not to sign that deal,” Carton said. “Because every other first-round pick does not have and has never had the language that the Bengals are trying to squeeze into this kid’s contract.”
“And inside the locker room, the way that resonates from player to player … that is a bad precedent to set,” Schlereth said. “You know what the guarantees are. You know what the money is. It’s already, it’s slotted. It’s right there.”
The Bengals have stood firm on demanding this contract language despite Stewart not having a reported history of off-field issues or conduct concerns.