The Cincinnati Bengals have found themselves in a growing mess since the 2025 NFL Draft. A contract dispute with Trey Hendrickson, the league’s sack leader, remains unresolved as he continues to wait for an extension. The situation only worsened after the team drafted Shemar Stewart in the first round.
Now, Stewart, their potential heir at edge rusher, is in a contract standoff of his own. The two sides have yet to reach an agreement, casting doubt on his availability for the start of the season. For some analysts, the standoff has turned the former Texas A&M standout into a sympathetic figure.
Shemar Stewart Gains Sympathy From NFL Analyst
NFL rookie contracts typically follow a standard structure set by the league, though teams can make minor adjustments based on salary cap flexibility and positional needs.
The Bengals, however, took things a step further by attempting to include clauses that would void guarantees under certain conditions, such as non-football injuries or off-field issues, breaking with team precedent.
Shemar Stewart has pushed back against those proposed alterations, insisting on the standard rookie deal that previous Bengals picks have signed. In response, he skipped both rookie minicamp and OTAs, and even left midway through mandatory minicamp.
For Craig Carton, the fault lies squarely on the Bengals’ shoulders. The host of Breakfast Ball on FS1 spoke about the situation, clearly siding with the rookie rather than the organization. “I feel bad for the kid. He wants to play football,” Carton began.
“I feel bad for the kid. This is a lifelong dream to make it to the NFL. First round draft pick. Unfortunately he got chosen by the wrong team. You cannot be against Stewart here. He’s done nothing wrong.” — @craigcartonlive on Shemar Stewart/Bengals contract dispute pic.twitter.com/jKrVlnMaqH
— Breakfast Ball (@BrkfstBallOnFS1) June 13, 2025
“This is a lifelong dream to make it to the NFL. First round draft pick.” However, the only problem for Stewart was the team that picked him. “Unfortunately, he got chosen by the wrong team. You cannot be against Stewart here. He’s done nothing wrong.”
While the Bengals had the right to pursue contract changes, many believe keeping their first-round pick happy, especially at a position of urgent need, should have taken priority. Cincinnati’s defense ranked in the bottom five of PFSN’s Defense+ metric last season, highlighting the importance of securing Stewart without drama.
Given that no such contractual precedent exists in Bengals history, analyst Craig Carton voiced his frustration with the organization’s approach. “It doesn’t make sense,” he concluded.
Last season, the team missed the playoffs for the second consecutive year, despite arguably the best year of Joe Burrow’s career. A major reason for that was their defensive deficiencies.
But, they haven’t done enough to give head coach Zac Taylor something to work with, as he prepares for the season without his two best defensive players fully on board.