Holdout Over: Cincinnati Bengals Signing First Round Pick Shemar Stewart

The Bengals are signing Shemar Stewart to a four-year, $18.97 million contract that's fully guaranteed according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. He'll receive a $10.4 million signing bonus.

Stewart was the only unsigned first round pick in the 2025 draft class. Cincinnati selected him with the 17th overall selection.

"The issue seems to be about guaranteed money, if in the event, he acted in a way that was contrary to league rules, or our rules, for example, if he got into a criminal situation," Bengals owner Mike Brown said earlier this week. "We've been here for a long time, it's never happened, and that's what's holding up this contract, and from our vantage point, it's a form of foolishness. It just ought to get done. There is no dispute over the money. It's just a dispute in his mind that I guess, if he did something that really deserved punishment, that he would want the whole contract guaranteed."

Brown was confident that a deal would get done at some point. That time is now.

Ultimately, the rookie missed three training camp practices and didn't participate in on-field drills during the offseason program.

Despite the holdout, it's over. And both Stewart and the Bengals can move forward.