The Cincinnati Bengals may have gotten the train moving again in resuming talks with Trey Hendrickson about his next contract, but that isn't the only contract issue they have with a pass rusher.
Shemar Stewart, drafted No. 17 overall out of Texas A&M, is exercising an unprecedented holdout for a rookie, sitting out all offseason workouts - and leaving the facility early during minicamp - because he has not signed his contract or practice waiver after not agreeing with the terms' language regarding injury insurance.
This becomes unprecedented because before he ever lines up for an official NFL snap - before he even hits the practice field - he could be traded.
This is something we rarely see, especially with a first-round pick.
No team has failed to sign their first-round pick before trading them, making this scenario one without much previous context if it comes to fruition.
In all likelihood, Cincinnati will try to resolve the contract dispute and retain their rookie defensive end, but each passing day allows for more rumors to circulate about a potential trade.
According to the league's Collective Bargaining Agreement, the team has until 30 days before the first game of the regular season to trade an unsigned draft pick. This year, the first game is a Thursday bout between Dallas and Philadelphia on Sept. 4.
That makes August 5 the deadline for a Stewart trade.
After that point, he cannot be traded at all this season, whether he signs or not.
If Stewart decides to sign sometime during the regular season, he has until the Tuesday after Week 10 to make his contract official and be eligible to play the rest of the season.
A third option would see Stewart holdout the entire regular season, and choose to wait until the 2026 Draft begins, where he would be eligible to re-enter the pool of prospects. He could be drafted by any team other than the Bengals - if they would even want him at that point, anyway.
The CBA also outlines avenues for Stewart to put up a fight with the NCAA to return to college or pursue an opportunity in another professional league like the UFL or CFL, but at the moment, most of the buzz is around a trade in the NFL.
It's unclear what teams have actually made an offer for Stewart, but we believe the Panthers, Patriots and 49ers to be potential buyers.
Bleacher Report floats the idea of Carolina trading a player and two future draft picks in exchange for the former Aggie. Another proposal sees New England adding to their reinforced pass rush by giving up a first-rounder and other Day 3 assets. For San Francisco, the idea has been pitched that the Niners could trade multiple draft picks over the next two years to pair Stewart with fellow first-round D-lineman Mykel Williams, who is currently injured.
Stewart profiles as a player with a high ceiling, but a lot of untapped potential. He didn't blow away stat-keepers during his college career, but his 6-5, 290-pound athletic frame could be tempting investment for a team in need of pass rush help.
For the Bengals, this situation isn't getting any easier as time ticks along. They're hoping to nail down both Hendrickson and Stewart's contracts before it leads to any more distractions in training camp and beyond.
If not for the rookie, they may have no other choice to begin surveying these options in a trade.