The start of Cincinnati Bengals defender Shemar Stewart's NFL career has been bumpy, to say the least.
After refusing to sign his rookie contract with the team because of some "language" that was added, Stewart, the No. 17 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft, didn't participate in a single workout this spring. He showed up to minicamp and watched practice for a couple of days before leaving, but did not participate in any on-field activities.
According to former NFL team executive Andrew Brandt, the team wants to add a clause to the contract that would allow the Bengals to void future guarantees if Stewart were to get into trouble off of the field. Normally, a first-round pick gets a fully guaranteed four-year contract, but this would give the Bengals some wiggle room.
The result has been a holdout for Stewart before his NFL career even started, and now it could lead to an unprecedented move where the first-round pick chooses to return to school at Texas A&M and enter the 2026 NFL draft.
The Cincinnati Bengals practice in the off season on Tuesday May 20, 2025. Bengals 2025 draft pick Shemar Stewart (97).
(Phil Didion/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
While Stewart could return to College Station, he would be ineligible to play during the 2025 season after declaring for the 2025 draft, according to NFL reporter Benjamin Albright. However, he could enroll in classes at Texas A&M and then enter the 2026 NFL draft, starting his professional career over again.
This scenario may be possible, but the most likely outcome to all of this is that Stewart and the Bengals end up agreeing on a deal before fall camp begins, and the first-round pick plays out his rookie season in Cincinnati.
While that would be a good outcome for both sides, the drama that has unfolded early on in Stewart's career is undoubtedly messy, and not something that bodes well for the relationship between the two sides long term.