Cincinnati selected Stewart with the No. 17 pick in April’s NFL draft, but he has yet to sign his contract due to an issue he and his representatives have with the contract’s guarantees.

The Bengals are trying to set a precedent that they can use in all future rookie deals. Second-round pick Demetrius Knight Jr. signed his rookie contract Saturday and signed a deal that had the language the Bengals wanted. Stewart is now the last one standing.

Shemar Stewart's agent had a harsh response to Bengals exec Duke Tobin's comments about the advice he's giving the rookie pass-rusher.

Only one NFL first-round pick is starving his team of a signing celebration, and the Bengals' brass was more than willing to dish thoughts on the "foolish" position of Texas A&M defensive end Shemar Stewart at the Cincinnati media luncheon on Monday.

Cincinnati Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin is growing frustrated over pass-rusher Shemar Stewart's decision to hold out as the two sides remain at odds over the first-round pick's rookie contract.

But it is. They opted to suddenly change their contract language regarding the voiding of guarantees. And it wasn’t a 2025 change; they used the old language in the new contracts signed by receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Then, when they drafted Stewart, it was time to change the language.

By Wednesday, all 32 NFL teams will have opened training camp for veterans. Yet, one first-round rookie, Cincinnati Bengals defensive lineman Shemar Stewart, remains unsigned.