Bengals End Tense Standoff with Shemar Stewart, Seal $18.97M Rookie Deal

The long and tense battle between the Cincinnati Bengals and their first-round draft pick, Shemar Stewart, has finally come to a close. On Saturday, the team announced that the defensive end out of Texas A&M, selected 17th overall in April’s draft, has signed his rookie deal, ending months of public disputes and holdouts.

Stewart’s journey to this point hasn’t been smooth. The Bengals reportedly aimed to tweak the structure of first-round rookie contracts, introducing clauses that could void future guarantees—a move that didn’t sit well with Stewart. Back in June, he stood his ground, saying, “I’m not asking for nothing y’all haven’t done before. Y’all just want to win arguments more than winning games.” Ouch. That’s a playbook jab if I’ve ever heard one.

While Stewart attended minicamp meetings, he refused to hit the field and skipped training camp earlier this week, drawing frustration from Bengals executive Duke Tobin. Tobin expressed disappointment, noting that the team wasn’t treating Stewart any differently from other draft picks. But after all the back-and-forth, the deal is done: a cool $18.97 million, fully guaranteed, with a $10 million signing bonus. Stewart was the last 2025 first-rounder to sign, but better late than never.

For the Bengals, who missed the playoffs last year thanks to a shaky defense, this signing is a step toward rebuilding. But don’t pop the champagne just yet—another defensive star, Trey Hendrickson, who led the NFL in sacks last season, is still holding out for a new deal. Looks like the Bengals’ front office has more drama to tackle than a reality TV show.