Latest news with #ShemarStewart
Yahoo
3 hours ago
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No, the Bengals aren't going to trade first-round pick Shemar Stewart
The Cincinnati Bengals won't trade first-round pick Shemar Stewart despite the strange contract standoff, reportedly due to the team attempting to make him the first to accept the revised precedent around how it does contracts. That big disclaimer out of the way, the idea the Bengals might throw up their hands and trade Stewart is starting to make the rounds (it's mid-June with no news to speak of, after all). Advertisement Bleacher Report's Mitchell Milani just suggested trade packages. And one doesn't have to look long to find many more. Again, not happening. As we've already documented, the 'nuclear' option for Stewart is to completely skip this year and enter the 2026 draft, which would mean the Bengals get zero back for the loss and can't draft him again. But if he tried to play in college again or another professional league, the Bengals would keep his rights, according to ESPN's Ben Baby. RELATED: Bengals, Shemar Stewart nuclear option includes 2026 NFL draft route As Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio already pointed out, teams can technically trade unsigned draft picks up until 30 days before the first game of the season. Advertisement But again, if Stewart would likely fall undrafted or to the late rounds a year from now after all this drama, why would a team trade for him right now? And why would the Bengals entertain the idea? Make no mistake, Cincinnati's standoff with Stewart is public and ugly. The team's past reputation in the media isn't doing any favors, either. But he's been present for most of the activities and taking mental reps with his teammates. Yes, Stewart is a project who needs every live rep possible. But the early summer stuff has already been missed. It's done. The Bengals aren't going to turn around and trade him for undoubtedly a lesser return than what they paid to draft him because of a staring contest over a little language in his contract. And Stewart's not going to want to go to another team that, depending on who to believe in the reporting, already uses this language he's not happy about in the first place. Advertisement So, Bengals fans will need to smile and grit through it. There's an endless wave of content about a Stewart trade inbound, but it's the same thing as Trey Hendrickson trade content…also not happening. RELATED: Bengals standouts after mandatory minicamp includes surprises This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: No, the Bengals aren't going to trade first-round pick Shemar Stewart
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bengals crushed by earned reputation with major contract standoffs
The Cincinnati Bengals have modernized in a few ways, which many fans recognize. Joe Burrow's arrival has accomplished that. But the old-school reputation the Bengals very well earned over the course of decades is something currently being leveraged in a very public fashion during contract standoffs with first-round pick Shemar Stewart and All-Pro edge rusher Trey Hendrickson. Advertisement So says Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated: 'Is Hendrickson taking advantage of the leverage created by Burrow's words and the spot the Bengals are in? He'd be smart to do that. Is Stewart piggybacking on the Hendrickson situation to get favorable contract terms? It wouldn't be the dumbest thing to do—though, as a rookie, it'll be vital that he's ready to go. Also important? That the Bengals, after their healthiest offseason in a few years, are ready to roll when they report to camp.' RELATED: Bengals, Shemar Stewart nuclear option includes 2026 NFL draft route Breer notes that, beyond the really obvious stuff from over the last few years, the Bengals left their comfort zone on the Ja'Marr Chase deal and made some scouting department shuffles after losing Christian Sarkisian. Advertisement But the Bengals will continue to lose the battle of public perception for the foreseeable future. Their history overshadows the fact that Hendrickson signed a short contract extension recently, is 30 years old, was granted permission to seek a trade and has walked back previous holdout threats. Cincinnati's history also, ironically enough, overshadows the fact that attempting to revise contract leverage, starting with Stewart, is another attempt at modernizing, considering some reporting says the language they want to insert is pretty standard for other teams. All of these are self-inflicted wounds. Some would call them growing pains for an organization trying to modernize. There will continue to be a lag between the team's more modern actions of late and actual public perception. Right now, players negotiating with the team are smart and within their rights to keep leaning into that leverage when possible. RELATED: Bengals standouts after mandatory minicamp includes surprises This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Bengals crushed by earned reputation with major contract standoffs
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Sport
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How did Bengals react to Shemar Stewart's public bashing?
The Cincinnati Bengals haven't said much beyond the expected publicly when it comes to first-round pick Shemar Stewart. Bengals head coach Zac Taylor says the communication with Stewart is good and other coach-speak things. Defensive coordinator Al Golden has kept it succinct, saying he wants Stewart out there as soon as possible. Advertisement What's interesting, though, is considering how the team might've reacted to Stewart's brash, public comments before leaving the last day of minicamp early. Paul Dehner Jr. provided a glimpse: 'There's no direct blame on Stewart, a 21-year-old, for fully understanding the issues that have transpired on the business side, but the handling of the situation on the whole left an impression. His verbal bombardment of team brass before even taking a snap left a relevant question about who the Bengals acquired with this pick and how much maturing is necessary to reach his potential.' RELATED: Bengals, Shemar Stewart nuclear option includes 2026 NFL draft route Advertisement Frustration from both sides would be understandable at this point. The Bengals reportedly wanted to start a new precedent with certain contract language and Stewart doesn't have a lot of leverage in the situation. But he also not wanting to be the first makes sense. The Bengals not exactly loving a rookie speaking out in such a manner makes sense, too, so it'll be interesting to see if this drags into training camp and what happens then. But those Bengals have earned their reputation long ago and will continue to lose the battle in the court of public opinion no matter what ends up happening with Stewart. RELATED: Bengals standouts after mandatory minicamp includes surprises This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: How did Bengals react to Shemar Stewart's public bashing?
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Sport
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Bengals, Shemar Stewart contract standoff reaction from former All-Pro
How the outside world has reacted to the contract drama between the Cincinnati Bengals and first-round pick Shemar Stewart has been all over the place. How the Bengals themselves reacted to Stewart publicly bashing them has been up for discussion, too. Advertisement The widespread reactions have even reached former NFL players such as the retired Joe Haden, who talked about the situation with Kay Adams around the time Stewart left Bengals minicamp early. RELATED: Bengals, Shemar Stewart nuclear option includes 2026 NFL draft route To keep it short, Haden bemoaned the entire situation and fell on the side of those who think it's a terrible thing all around that Stewart has already left the team early after being very vocal with his frustration. The Bengals have between now and training camp to really iron out the issues with the rookie before things get even messier. Advertisement Haden's reaction: RELATED: Bengals standouts after mandatory minicamp includes surprises This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Bengals, Shemar Stewart contract standoff reaction from former All-Pro
Yahoo
11 hours ago
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Key takeaways from Bengals OTAs
The Cincinnati Bengals are cruising through the offseason now that mandatory minicamp has concluded, and I'm here to break down what you've missed — just in case you haven't been paying attention. We'll start with the black cloud: Trey Hendrickson's very public contract dispute This back-and-forth has cast a shadow over everything else this offseason. The Bengals' defense allowed an appalling 434 points last year, dragging down Joe Burrow and an otherwise explosive offense and leaving the team with a disappointing 9-8 record. Advertisement Now, they're playing a game of chicken with the only proven pass rusher on the roster. Whether you're on Team Bengals or Team Hendrickson, there's no denying his absence is hurting the team. We're not done with contract issues The Bengals used their first-round pick on Texas A&M edge rusher Shemar Stewart, who could, in theory, take Hendrickson's place — if he weren't standing on the sideline alongside him. Stewart, too, is in a contract dispute with the front office and remains one of the few unsigned first-round picks from this year's draft. Guard overhaul under Scott Peters The Bengals cut Alex Cappa and restructured Cordell Volson's deal after both struggled to protect Burrow from interior pressure last season. They signed veteran G/C Lucas Patrick and drafted Dylan Fairchild out of Georgia. Advertisement Cody Ford, Volson, Matt Lee, Jaxson Kirkland, and others are all battling for roster spots, and it remains unclear who will start next to Ted Karras in Week 1 — or whether this revamped unit will be an improvement over last year's. All in on offense While new defensive coordinator Al Golden works to rebuild from the ashes of the 2024 squad, the Bengals appear all-in on their offense. Burrow is healthy, and he's surrounded by Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins — arguably the NFL's top WR duo — for at least the next few seasons. The plan for 2025 looks simple: score early, score often, and force opposing offenses into one-dimensional, catch-up mode. Hopefully, it works better this time than it did a year ago. Al Golden ushers in a new era of defensive success — hopefully Golden takes over for Lou Anarumo, now in Indianapolis, after the Bengals' defense played a leading role in keeping them out of the playoffs last year. Other than the rookies and a few rotational free agents, the 2025 defensive personnel looks very similar to 2024's — meaning it won't take long to see if coaching really was the problem. Advertisement Golden's full plans remain unclear, especially with Hendrickson and Stewart still absent. But frankly, it's going to be hard to be worse than last year's unit. Two players who drew good reviews in OTAs were veteran defensive tackle TJ Slaton and second-round rookie linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. They may end up being the two biggest upgrades the Bengals defense gets this year, especially if Shemar Stewart continues to sit out and miss valuable development when training camp begins. Stadium upgrade plans Paycor Stadium's lease is quickly running out, and the Brown/Blackburn family is deep in negotiations with Hamilton County. Predictably, things in the Queen City are getting messy. Advertisement Expect this to get uglier before it gets resolved in the coming weeks. Not messing around During one OTA session, Burrow threw an interception on a pass intended for Mike Gesicki — one that Cam Taylor-Britt jumped for a pick. The corner, in need of a bounce-back year, wasn't shy about celebrating it. On the very next play, though, Burrow hit Chase deep, burning DJ Turner for what would've been a touchdown. That's the edge this team seems to have taken into the offseason. They took one on the chin last year and appear determined to prove it was an exception, not the rule. Spotlight on the front office The 2024 9-8 season will go down as one of the NFL's wildest statistical outliers. How many teams will you ever see with: Advertisement A quarterback posting 4,900 yards, 43 TDs, and 9 INTs, A wide receiver winning the Triple Crown, and A defensive end leading the league in sacks... Yet somehow miss the playoffs? The football world came down hard on the Bengals' front office this offseason — and deservedly so. Now, with public contract disputes and ugly stadium lease talks swirling, much of the goodwill earned from two deep playoff runs has been spent. All eyes are on the Brown/Blackburn family to right the ship. What were your biggest takeaways from OTAs? Let us know on Twitter and in the comments section! Who Dey!! More from
