ATLANTA, Ga. (KBTX) - Former Texas A&M defensive end Shemar Stewart was back in Aggieland working out, but there is no chance that his NFL contract holdout could lead to him returning to the Aggies, head coach Mike Elko confirmed Thursday at SEC Media Days.
“Zero chance that was ever considered,” Elko said.
After earning the 17th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals, Stewart did not sign a participation waiver that allows draft picks to take part in workouts while negotiating their contract. This holdout resulted in Stewart missing out on a mandatory rookie minicamp with the Bengals in early June.
The dispute is over issues revolving around voids on guaranteed money in his contract, [ESPN’s Ben Baby told KBTX in June.](https://www.kbtx.com/video/2025/06/13/focus-four-espns-ben-baby-breaks-down-stewart-bengals-contract-dispute/)
“There seems to be an issue of the Bengals trying to set precedent with this rookie class and Shemar’s deal,” Baby said. “When you talk about how much is potentially at stake, we’re talking about a few million dollars, given how much is guaranteed, especially in the later years of these deals that gets paid out as a roster bonus during training camps.”
Due to the rookie wage scale that was negotiated as a part of collective bargaining, Stewart has a nonnegotiable four-year $18.9 million contract on the table, with a fifth-year team option.
According to reports, the Bengals and Stewart have continued talks, but are no closer to reaching a deal.
Elko confirmed Stewart has been working out at A&M’s facilities, which is not uncommon for NFL alumni at college programs across the country. Stewart returned to Cincinnati yesterday, Elko said.
“It’s a great lesson for all of those about facts that can be created by social media,” Elko said. “Shemar has been in College Station training like a lot of NFL players do in their offseason.”
In three seasons with the Aggies, Stewart recorded 65 tackles, including 12 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. Last season, he showed the athleticism to get to the quarterback, but at times struggled to finish the play with a sack.
Stewart must sign a contract by Nov. 11 to be eligible to play in 2025. Should Stewart hold out until next year’s draft, he is eligible to take part in the 2026 draft.
“We’re excited to see what he does for the Bengals this year,” Elko said Thursday.
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