The saga is lastly over. Cincinnati Bengals first-round choose Shemar Stewart has reportedly signed his rookie deal after a dramatic holdout. According to ESPN, it is a four-year, totally assured $18.97 million contract that features a $10.4 million signing bonus.
The No. 17 general choose within the 2025 NFL Draft is the ultimate first-round choice to signal his rookie deal. His holdout was by no means in regards to the deal being totally assured or the quantity within the contract (that every one is predetermined). Relatively, Stewart’s camp was reportedly upset over the potential voiding of future ensures — language that was not current in rookie contracts of earlier Bengals first-round picks.
According to NFL Media, Stewart bought “improved payout language” that made him snug sufficient to take the apply subject along with his new teammates. It took a compromise to get this accomplished: Stewart reportedly agreed to the Bengals’ new contract language, whereas Cincinnati moved $500,000 of Stewart’s signing bonus and paid it up entrance, as an alternative of paying it in December.
“I am not asking for something loopy,” Stewart told ESPN in Could. “I am not even asking for nothing. I simply need issues to be constant. I simply need constant language as previously contracts. I simply will not apply till I get that.”
Stewart was seen as one of many high go rushers on this previous draft class. In three seasons for Texas A&M, he recorded 65 mixed tackles, 12 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. Whereas he did not put up the form of prolific manufacturing different prospects did, the 21-year-old defensive finish was seen as a participant with excessive upside. Stewart registered 65 pressures over the previous two years, which was tied for eighth within the SEC.
With this holdout lasting so lengthy, it led the soccer world to begin wondering about Stewart’s options. He may have requested for a commerce, held out all season and reentered the NFL Draft subsequent 12 months, and even taken his probabilities in court docket and fought for an additional 12 months of faculty eligibility. CBS Sports activities faculty analyst Bud Elliott famous that Stewart had truly been understanding at Texas A&M this summer season! Finally, although, Cincinnati locks in its high draft choose.
Subsequent up for the Bengals is discovering a method to get reigning NFL sack chief Trey Hendrickson to coaching camp.