It seems the Bengals are struggling with their pass rushers.
Shemmer Stewart, their first-round draft pick, is at the team’s mandatory mini-camp, but not participating due to rocky contract talks.
Reports suggest that Stewart is aiming for a contract similar to that of another recent first-round selection from Cincinnati.
“I’m completely in the right here. I’m not demanding anything out of the ordinary,” Stewart told reporters on Tuesday. “But everyone seems to care more about winning arguments than actually winning games.”
Stewart, who was picked 17th overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, is among five first-rounders yet to sign a rookie contract.
“I’ve been doing this for most of my life, and now all of a sudden I face something so simple that hasn’t been fixed,” he remarked. “It’s a little frustrating.”
While he’s sidelined, Stewart indicated that he’s keeping up with his teammates.
“I still attend meetings and study the playbook,” he explained. “Whenever I take notes, I make sure they’re accurate, and I train during my free time.”
On another front, the Bengals are also handling trade requests from Pro Bowler Trey Hendrickson.
At 30 years old, he won’t show up for mini-camp this week and may consider moving to a different team if his contract situation isn’t settled before the upcoming season.
Hendrickson, who had 17.5 sacks last season, is looking for a base salary of $15.8 million and a revision to his long-term deal.
For the quarterback, navigating this situation with the Bengals might be a bit tricky.
