Edge rusher Shemar Stewart, who was taken by the Cincinnati Bengals with the 17th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, recently slammed the organization for the contentious contract negotiation process that he has been put through as he remains unsigned and continues to holdout for a fair deal during mandatory Organized Team Activities (OTAs).
“I’m 100 percent right. I’m not asking for nothing (the Bengals) have never done before,” Stewart told reporters this week. “But in y’all case, y’all just want to win arguments (more) than winning more games.”
Surprisingly, Stewart explained that he had more to say on the matter, but he chose to bite his tongue.
“I can’t say what I really want to say,” he said. “It’s their ‘contract.’ They could do what they want with it.”
Stewart is an incredibly raw yet talented prospect who could greatly benefit from minicamp and training camp. Despite being a first-round draft pick, he only recorded 4.5 sacks during his three-year college career.
Another key quote from Shemar Stewart. By “y’all” he means the Bengals front office.
“I’m 100 percent right. I’m not asking for nothing y’all have never done before. But in y’all case, y’all just want to win arguments (more) than winning more games.”
— Jay Morrison (@ByJayMorrison) June 10, 2025
“Even though I played in the SEC, which is very physical, but nothing compares to actually playing in [the] NFL,” Stewart said. “I thought I’d be on the field by now. That’s what I would have thought.”
Stewart has been playing football for years, but this holdout signifies one of the longest stretches of his life when he hasn’t been on a football field.
“I’ve been doing this for most of my whole life, and then all of a sudden it’s gone over something very simple to fix,” he said. “It’s kind of disappointing.”
Stewart acknowledged that he wants to be on the field and preparing for his first season in the NFL.
“It’s very important,” he said when talking about training camp. “You’ve got to get your body somewhat prepared to play football. Especially me, coming from college to the NFL.”
Shemar Stewart even spoke about teammate Trey Hendrickson, who is skipping mandatory minicamp in hopes of landing himself a new contract extension.
The Bengals have decided to wedge a new clause into Shemar Stewart’s rookie deal..
The Bengals are doing Bengals stuff..
I like what the agent is doing #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/YQTPs1hGHa
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) June 10, 2025
“Just know you’re doing the right thing,” Stewart said. “We all agree, Trey (Hendrickson) will be right, right? But, technically, still 1% wrong for being under contract. In my case, I’m 100% right, so it should be a no-brainer. And in Trey’s case, I think it should be a no-brainer too… If I was the GM or I was the owner, take all my money, but I guess they don’t operate like that.”
The good news is that Stewart is still doing the mental preparation expected of rookies coming into the NFL.
“I still go to meetings. I still study my playbook,” he said. “Taking down the right notes, and then whenever I get some free time, I go out to train.”
Whenever the contract dispute is settled, Shemar Stewart will be ready to hit the field.
“I still work out. I feel like I’m still in good shape,” he said. “I’m always ready to go. I’ve been staying ready to go. It’s my job now. I got no choice but to be ready to go.”
