With Shemar Stewart, the Bengals aren’t the only team remaining to sign their first-round pick, but they are the dumbest. It would appear both sides are standing their ground, each taking somewhat unprecedented measures along the way. From what I gather, the Bengals are trying to unilaterally alter their contract language for first-round draft picks in their favor while offering no concessions.
Stewart, meanwhile, has gone so far as to not even practice without a contract, which is an extremely rare occurrence. Typically, draft picks sign practice waivers that protect them in the event of injury, but he has refused.
Frankly, the exact discrepancy is unclear, because different reporters seem to be talking about different things. Ian Rapoport, for example, has insisted that the Bengals’ contract language is within the norms of the league. Elsewhere, Adam Schefter has stopped just shy of calling it unprecedented. I can only assume that different reporters are talking about different aspects of the same thing. According to Mike Florio, at least, it comes down to the language in Shemar Stewart’s contract pertaining to void of guarantees.
Stewart’s agent recently addressed his ongoing contract dispute with the Bengals on SiriusXM NFL Radio. Florio transcribed agent Zac Hiller’s comments accordingly. “Simply put, Shemar would, of course, love for his contract to be as protective as the rest of his Bengals teammates in the past. And, simply put, the way the contract currently reads is not as protective”.
Depending on which reporter is discussing the matter, the language in the Bengals’ contract for Shemar Stewart either does or does not differ from the language in the contract signed by last year’s first-round pick, T Amarius Mims. It’s notable that the Bengals traded Stewart 17th overall, and Mims 18th overall.
According to Florio, the Bengals are “trying to foist more team-friendly terms on Stewart unilaterally, without making a corresponding concession”.
Stewart’s agent adds that contracts are based on precedent, and his client simply want the Bengals to stick to their precedent. “Let’s keep the precedent”, he declared. Everyone agrees that the Bengals have changed something, but what exactly that is appears less clear.
Complicating matters is the fact that Cincinnati is also at odds with star pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson. Although they have reportedly returned to the negotiating table, the sides appear to have been far apart. Hendrickson has gone so far as to say he will not play under his current contract. And if the Bengals don’t get Shemar Stewart on the field by training camp, he will be developmentally delayed.
It is not impossible for a rookie contract negotiation to bleed into the regular season. Even with slotted contracts these days, some negotiations end up producing more complications. In 2016, Joey Bosa sat out the first four games of his rookie season. And frankly, would anybody really be surprised if the Bengals let it get this far with Shemar Stewart?
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