The Cincinnati Bengals and rookie defensive tackle Shemar Stewart failed to reach a contract agreement before the report date, leaving Stewart’s participation in training camp uncertain. A disagreement over future guarantees has stalled negotiations, with the team pushing for a new clause in the contract that Stewart’s representation opposes.
Stewart is the only first-round pick from this year’s draft class without a signed contract. The Bengals and Knight, their second-round pick, have reached an agreement on terms including 75% of his signing bonus upon signing. However, offering similar benefits to Stewart would be seen as less favorable by him, making further negotiations challenging.
The team starts training camp on July 23, and with no progress made in the next few days, it’s possible that Cincinnati will be without Shemar Stewart for practice.
Source: https://eu.cincinnati.com/story/sports/nfl/bengals/2025/07/19/shemar-stewart-contract-not-signed-bengals-yet/85289867007