Bengals 2025 Roster Breakdown: Shemar Stewart has much to prove long after ongoing contract dispute gets put to bed

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By John Sheeran | Last updated Jun 2, 2025 11:41 AM ET

Bengals roster breakdown is back! During the 99 days leading up to Cincinnati's regular season opener against the Cleveland Browns, the player with the matching jersey number as days remaining will become the day's highlighted player.

97 days remain until the Bengals' first game of the 2025 season, which has No. 97 Shemar Stewart as the first rookie to earn the spotlight.

Shemar Stewart

Age: 21
Year: Rookie
Position: Defensive end
College: Texas A&M
Previous Teams: None
Jersey Number: 97

Stewart enters his first season in the NFL after being drafted 17th overall in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. He played three years at Texas A&M and appeared in 37 games, starting for half of his true freshman year and all of his junior year. He totaled 65 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks.

Despite his middling production, Stewart confirmed his future as a first-rounder by turning heads at the NFL Scouting Combine. He blazed a 4.59 40-yard dash and paired it with jumps of 131" in the broad and 40" in the vertical at 6-5 and 267 pounds. He's now set to join a defensive line in Cincinnati that desperately needs his explosion and power.

Contract details

Stewart has not signed his rookie contract as of this posting. When he does put pen to paper, it will be for a four-year deal worth just under $19 million, all of which will be guaranteed. He will receive over $11 million in cash this year, and his salary cap hit will be a little under $3.5 million. These figures are based on Over The Cap's rookie pool estimates.

This is the story with Stewart right now. He's holding out of practicing with his new team as the Bengals are hoping to set a new precedent with his contract. Stewart wants certain default language removed from his offer so his future guarantees would be protected the same way they are for recent first-round picks Myles Murphy and Amarius Mims.

Roster outlook

Any first-round pick willingly sitting out of his first OTAs is not ideal, but another contract impasse has created another national storyline for the Bengals. Stewart will eventually be signed, whether or not Cincinnati gets its new precedent, and he'll have to catch up in some regard when that happens. Lucky for him, training camp is still over a month away.

Stewart makes the Bengals' rotation off the edge a bit deeper, and with Murphy and Joseph Ossai looking to prove themselves with Sam Hubbard retired, the 17th overall pick should fit as a situational player to start his career.

As of right now, Stewart is not technically on the Bengals' roster. When the season begins, he'll be counted on more than most non-starters on the team. Cincinnati is taking a gamble on converting his traits to ability and production at the next level. If he hits, they'll have a new cornerstone pass rusher for years to come.

It's only a matter of time before that work really begins.

Projected role: Rotational defensive end