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Shemar Stewart Is Going To Suck, And His Contract Dispute With The Bengals Is Just Another Hint
Shemar Stewart Is Going To Suck, And His Contract Dispute With The Bengals Is Just Another Hint
99% of the first round picks from the 2025 NFL Draft are already signed. Then there’s Shemar Stewart, who appears to be locked in a contract dispute with the Cincinnati Bengals. This problem doesn’t appear to be going away anytime soon, and it’s just another hint that Cincinnati probably botched this pick big time.
Before I really begin here, let’s make one thing abundantly clear. The organization itself deserves a ton of blame here. I’m not oblivious to that notion. The CBA has made these contracts as easy as a layup to get done. All of this drama seems to stem from the Bengals wanting to add a clause into the contract that wipes out future guaranteed money.
“According to a source with knowledge of the negotiations, the sticking point is language in the contract that could void guaranteed money in future years. For example, if Stewart were suspended, even for an on-field reason such as leading with the crown of the helmet or other similar penalties, that could eliminate future guarantees.”
So yes, maybe the Bengals are being shady. However, maybe more people should ask why the Bengals are being shady about this. Maybe the Stewart pick wasn’t universally agreed upon in the building? Why didn’t Cincinnati try to implement this with Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, or even Amarius Mims last year?
Maybe there are people inside the building with the Bengals who are worried Stewart is going to be a flame out? If that’s not the case, why go through all this trouble?
That brings me to my point. Drafting the former Texas A&M product in the first round should have been considered a non-starter. Any team that drafted him that high accepted one hidden consequence. You were rewarded for bad behavior because nothing about his actual tape warranted that type of draft capital.
The player, because he’s been told how great he is for doing nothing, has decided to go nuclear.
“I’m 100 percent right. I’m not asking for nothing y’all have never done before,” he said, referring to the team, according to SI.com. “But in y’all case, y’all just want to win arguments (more) than winning more games.”
Again, both parties are wrong, but when a rookie who hasn’t played a snap is saying this about his new team… it isn’t exactly ideal.
This entire situation stems from poor leadership. There’s a reason why Zac Taylor’s teams are soft. Maybe the contract gets worked out eventually. Either way, an incredibly raw prospect is about to show up for his rookie season in a spot where he’s not developed properly because of being late to the party, for not getting his contract done.
This story isn’t going away, and when Stewart fails to do anything remotely impactful at the next level, don’t say I didn’t warn you.
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