Bengals exec Duke Tobin makes it apparent where he thinks the blame should lie with the Shemar Stewart situation

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By John Sheeran | Last updated Jul 21, 2025 3:20 PM ET

Shemar Stewart is still away from the Cincinnati Bengals two days after all rookies reported to Paycor Stadium ahead of training camp. Cincinnati's first-round pick has still not signed his rookie contract, which prevents him from being with the rest of the team during camp.

Director of player personnel Duke Tobin, like the fanbase, isn't particularly happy about the situation. The executive responsible for drafting Stewart also made it apparent Monday morning during the team's media luncheon where his mind is at as the dispute now goes into the ramp up to the regular season.

Duke Tobin shares his thoughts on Shemar Stewart

Tobin stated that he doesn't blame Stewart for what's transpired, but he doesn't agree with the advice he's paying for, indirectly referencing his agent, Zac Hiller.

"I don't blame Shemar," Tobin said. "He's listening to the advice he's paying for. I don't understand the advice, I don't agree with it. I'm not the one paying for it. But that's where it is. If I thought we were treating him unfairly it would be a different story, but we're treating him fairly with all the rest of draft picks in this year's draft.

While Stewart is the player who hasn't practiced with the team at all since being drafted in April, Tobin made it clear that he's pointing to the source of Stewart's decision-making as the problem.

Tobin, who's effectively the club's general manager, stands by what the Bengals are doing with Stewart. The front office is attempting to include new default language in their contracts that matches what other franchises around the league use. Second-round pick Demetrius Knight Jr.'s rookie contract, which was signed this past weekend, reportedly includes said language.

Stewart's camp does not want the language in his deal, and since his contract will be fully guaranteed, a greater percentage of the deal could be subjected to void if the language is triggered.

Tobin also referred to the national conversation revolving around the dilemma. He labeled the inserting of new language as the club evolving their contracts, and they're in the right to do so.

"It doesn't make sense to say Cincinnati doesn't get to evolve their contracts, yet the rest of the league evolves." Tobin said he isn't going to feel bad for trying to evolve the language in their contracts like the rest of the league. #Bengals https://t.co/qAWqFX32fG
— Laurel Pfahler (@LaurelPfahler) July 21, 2025

This all confirms what's been reported over the last couple months. Cincinnati wants Stewart to sign a deal that contains different language compared to past first-round picks, and Stewart's representation has been the obstacle preventing that from happening.

As a result of this holdup, Stewart is the last first-round pick without a contract and will not be able to practice without one. The longer he goes without practicing, the harder it will be for him to contribute as a rookie this season.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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