Bengals Coach Reacts to First-Round Pick Missing Minicamp

The Cincinnati Bengals’ front office is no stranger to contract controversies, which means public-facing employees have to answer for the inconveniences of those above them.

Quarterback Joe Burrow is no stranger to answering questions about extensions for receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, a privilege that has been extended to edge rusher Trey Hendrickson’s ongoing dispute. Hendrickson isn’t alone in his frustration.

Fellow edge rusher and 2025 first-round pick Shemar Stewart is holding out, too. He had not been practicing during minicamp, and when it wrapped up on Thursday morning, he made a point of not attending.

“Cincinnati’s unsigned first-round draft pick Shemar Stewart now has left mandatory minicamp, per source,” Adam Schefter wrote. “Stewart had been attending team activities, but without a signed contract and with the Bengals asking for certain clauses, no longer.”

Head coach Zac Taylor, in a similar spot to Burrow, reacted to the Bengals' rookie skipping minicamp.

“He wasn’t here today," he said. "So we just focus on the guys that were here. He and I have had private conversations.”

Stewart is justified in his stance. Cincinnati, after not including a clause that voids remaining guarantees in the event of misconduct in previous first-round contracts, wants to set the precedent with Stewart. The Bengals are in the minority of teams yet to include that offset language in their deals, but are far from the only team on this island.

Naturally, Stewart doesn’t want to be the victim of precedent-setting, and the team’s early investment suggests they don’t think he’s going to get into trouble anyway.

The result is a stalemate, casting a shadow on Stewart’s rookie season, making an unideal first impression.

“There’s a first for everything,” Taylor said. “Every year, you kinda learn something new in this position, and this is just one of those things that the players have managed really well. We keep the team moving, and when he jumps on the field, that’ll be great for our team.”

Stewart is a raw pass rusher who didn’t have impressive production in his college profile. That lends itself to uneasiness about his play in Year 1, and makes on-field reps more important than they generally are in May. And yet, Cincinnati would seemingly rather take that risk than cave.

“I understand when there’s some frustration there,” Taylor admitted. “That’s how he chose to do it. That’s his prerogative. We look forward to getting him back in the fold.”

The nature of these negotiations is that one will eventually cave, bruising a relationship but not breaking any bones. Stewart signing is still far more likely than any other outcome, but until pen hits paper, the Cincinnati faithful will continue to worry.