The status quo of the National Football League as we know it might be flipping on its head. Throughout the off-season the Cincinnati Bengals and their recent first round EDGE Rusher Shemar Stewart have been in a financial gridlock.
In 2011, the NFL’s “Collective Bargaining Agreement” was instituted, which basically provides a blue print of what each Draft pick should be paid during their rookie contract. At pick 17, Stewart should be signing a lucrative 4 year, $18.94M deal.
Unfortunately, it’s the Cincinnati Bengals we’re dealing with, who have a long track record of low balling their contract negotiations. 83 days after hearing Commissioner Roger Goodell call his name in Green Bay, Shemar Stewart still has not signed his rookie contract. The reasoning: unfamiliar verbiage in the contract.
Former NFL executive Andrew Brandt reported that the Bengals added clauses in Shemar Stewart’s contract that could potentially void future guaranteed money.
“If the player defaults and a default could be a breach like a discipline issue, a steroid or drug test issue, a morals clause issue, getting in trouble, being suspended, being fined, whatever default is defined as, you can void future guarantees.” Brandt shared on the Business of Sports Podcast. “In other words, if this happens in year one, you can say, ‘well, year two, three, four are not guaranteed.”
Despite the disagreement in vocabulary, Shemar Stewart has been present for off-season programs like Rookie Mini Camp and OTAs, but has not laced up the cleats. Last night (July 15), the Denver Broncos and DB Jahdae Barron agreed to their terms, meaning that Stewart now stands as the ONLY 1st Rounder left unsigned.
What may come next for one of the most explosive athlete’s the game has seen might shake the landscape of football as we know it. According to CBS Sports’ Bud Eliiot, Shemar Stewart has been working out in College Station, the home to his former squad; the Texas A&M Aggies, all off season. On the Cover 3 Podcast, Elliot shared
“A guy who has had some good A&M stuff in the past, he hit me, he’s like, ‘Hey, Shemar might end up back here. He’s been at College Station, he’s been fully involved in workouts, He’s holding out from the Bengals, (the) relationship is toxic. He could try to come back and play again this season and go into the draft again next year.'”
The NCAA possesses rules and mandates in place that firmly states a player can NOT return to play college ball after being Drafted. However, this is the day and age where athletes consistently bring the NCAA to court, and win, so it’s not completely out of the cards. While it will most certainly require a lengthy legal battle + a LOT of hoops to jump through, I can confidently say- we’ve seen crazier.
Worst comes to worst- If the NCAA does not grant Shemar Stewart those years of eligibility, he can re-enter his name in the 2026 NFL Draft. While the time is ticking, Shemar does have until the Tuesday following Week 10 to sign or not sign his rookie deal. After that, he is officially ineligible for the 2025 NFL Season. (per CBS Sports).
Another alternative for Stewart is a lot simpler- just request a trade. However, this move has to be made earlier than the NFL’s normal trade deadline (Week 8). Trading Rookie players is a separate time frame, and the deal would have to be placed 30 days before the first game of the NFL season, so in early August.
As previously stated, at the time of this writing, Shemar Stewart and the Bengals have been in an 83 day contractual hold out, with signs indicating nothing’s changing from either party. We’re rapidly closing in on the longest NFL rookie contract holdout, a record held by Joey Bosa at 103 days.
What’s next for one of South Florida’s top alum? Will Shemar Stewart be suiting up for the Bengals, or will he be making a triumphant return to College Station? Only time will tell.
Cover Photo Credits: USAToday
