Contract clash: What drove Shemar Stewart to walk out of Bengals camp

Things aren’t off to a great start for the Cincinnati Bengals as they kicked off their mandatory minicamp this week. Already dealing with defensive end Trey Hendrickson holding out due to contract disputes, their second option for a starter at that position walked out on the camp on Thursday.

Why Shemar Stewart is doing a rookie holdout

Rookie DE Shemar Stewart was the Bengals’ first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft in April. But he’s one of just four first-round rookies who hasn’t signed a contract yet. Stewart is not happy with how the negotiations have been going so far and has yet to participate in any of the team’s offseason workouts. He’s been present at the workouts. studying the playbook, but not participating in the drills. But on Thursday, he walked out.

While it’s typical to see veterans holding out, it’s rare to see a rookie do so - at least nowadays. In 2011, the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement added a rookie wage scale which stated that first-round picks would be given four-year deals with preset salaries and bonuses based on when they were selected. In Stewart’s case, he was selected 17th overall, so his slot would pay $3.4 million in his rookie season, and $18.9 million over four years, according to Sportrac.

So why is Stewart doing this?

Well, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer, the Bengals are “trying to change the language” in a way that would allow them to void future guarantees. Stewart is asking them to make his contract a mirror of the Bengals’ previous two first-round picks - Amarius Mims (2024, 18th overall) and Myles Murphy (2023, 28th overall).

He made his stance on the matter clear as crystal with his comments on Tuesday:

“In my case, I’m 100 percent right,” Stewart said. “I’m not asking for nothing that’s never been done before. But in [the team’s] case, y’all just want to win an argument instead of winning more games, in my opinion.”

What now for Stewart and the Bengals?

Stewart has some options going forward if the Bengals don’t meet his demands. He can request a trade, which is eligible until August 5 (30 days before the regular season begins). After that, however, he can’t be traded during the 2025 season, regardless of whether or not he’s actually signed.

The other option would be to put off the signing until after Week 10 of the 2025 season, which would make him eligible for the final seven games. If, however, he remains unsigned past that point in the season, he would remain ineligible for the season unless he or the team can prove “extreme hardship” to an arbitrator.

Stewart could sign with another pro league like the UFL, but the Bengals would keep his NFL rights for the next three years and he could only re-enter the 2026 NFL Draft if he refuses to sign altogether. If that were the case, any other team besides the Bengals could select him.

Zac Taylor’s reaction to Stewart holdout

While Bengals head coach Zac Taylor assured that the team is staying focused on their current players amidst Stewart’s absence, he also noted that they have had “positive conversations” with the former Texas A&M star.

“For all the rookies, you’d like them to be on the field,” Taylor said. “But certainly there’s things that happen over the course of an NFL career, and this is one of them right now.”

However, Taylor also subtly pushed back against Stewart’s comments regarding the Bengals’ “desire to win arguments” over games.

“Number one, we want to protect our team in our locker room,” Taylor said. “I understand when there’s frustration there. That’s how he chose to do it and that’s his prerogative. And we look forward to getting him back in the fold.”

Meanwhile, the Bengals are juggling other major contract issues including Hendrickson’s holdout just as they’ve signed wide receivers Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase to mega contracts. As Stewart’s and Hendrickson’s contract disputes linger, questions are swirling about how soon the Bengals can get their highly-regarded pass rusher back in uniform and whether the front office will fold under pressure or stand its ground.

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