Report: Shemar Stewart Not Practicing To Start Bengals' Minicamp

 A thin defensive end hierarchy to start the Bengals' 2025 mandatory minicamp slate. The Enquirer's Kelsey Conway reported that rookie edge rusher Shemar Stewart still hasn't agreed to a contract with the Bengals and will not practice on Tuesday.

Pro Football Talk reported last month that the team is trying to include contract barriers they didn't insert into Amarius Mims' deal last year.

"The Bengals and Stewart are haggling over language regarding the potential voiding of his future guarantees. Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the Bengals want to include a phrase that causes a default in the current year to trigger a default in all remaining years," Mike Florio wrote. "The problem is that the contract signed by last year’s first-round pick, tackle Amarius Mims, does not include the language that the Bengals are now attempting to insert into Stewart’s deal."

The absence leaves Cincinnati without possibly its two best pass rushers as Trey Hendrickson also will not practice this week amidst his own contract dispute.

Valuable reps for both players that neither will get back in the midst of learning a new defensive system in Cincinnati for the first time this decade.