The Cincinnati Bengals’ first-round draft pick in the 2025 draft, Shemar Stewart, has yet to participate in the team’s offseason programs while he undergoes a dispute over the language of his rookie contract.
Now, one of the Bengals’ leaders has decided to speak on the situation.
“It’s not the best-case scenario of how the spring could have gone for our first-round pick. But there is pretty serious business aspect to our profession. He has taken counsel from his camp,” center Ted Karras said, per Paul Dehner Jr.
“The main thing I want to say is I don’t think – to either of our defensive ends – there is any harboring of resentment in our locker room. I really hope both camps can figure this out because we have a really good team. We’ve had a super-productive spring.
“You just don’t want this to carry over into summer.” And more from Karras on the perspective from inside the locker room: “I don’t think it’s been a distraction. I think it has more been a distraction for the fans, mostly.
“I know Twitter is hot right now and Cincy Twitter doesn’t mess around … I think how it has played out has been probably unfortunate for both sides.”
It’ll be interesting to see which side blinks first in negotiations.
This isn’t the only public contract dispute the organization is undergoing at the moment. Trey Hendrickson, who led the league in sacks last season, has also been absent from activities as he awaits a contract extension.