Shemar Stewart stands alone as final unsigned first-round decide

Shemar Stewart stays the lone unsigned first-round decide from the 2025 NFL Draft. The Cincinnati Bengals’ seventeenth general decide continues to be caught in a irritating high-stakes contract standoff as coaching camps are only a few days away. With cornerback Jahdae Barron of the Denver Broncos formally signing his rookie deal, Stewart is now the one first-round rookie in limbo.

Stewart’s holdout started in June, when he left the Bengals’ minicamp early, selecting to not take part in on-field drills till a deal was reached. The core of the difficulty facilities not on the worth of the deal, however reasonably on the precise language regarding voided ensures. Stewart’s camp insists on receiving the identical clauses granted to different first-round picks the Bengals have drafted, like Amarius Mims and Myles Murphy. They argue that new penalties would unfairly restrict Stewart’s future incomes energy. 

Regardless of the stagnant conversations, Stewart has remained centered on soccer. Lately, he has been understanding individually at Texas A&M amenities, however with the crew. This permits him to keep up bodily readiness, even when he’s not with the Bengals. That is an unconventional transfer that has sparked some hypothesis a couple of potential return to varsity and even delaying his NFL debut. Though this may occasionally appear far-fetched because of NCAA guidelines. 

On the Bengals’ aspect of issues, administration needs to be feeling the stress. Head coach Zac Taylor has largely saved his mouth quiet on the dialog, however he has acknowledged in current weeks that he’s been in touch with Stewart. Evidently for a deal to get completed, one aspect must collapse on the language of the contract. As of now, it seems that Stewart and his crew have extra leverage within the scenario, as they may threaten to proceed to carry out and probably even go additional by sitting out the 2025 season. 

Because the saga unfolds, Stewart’s choices appear fairly easy: proceed to take a seat out and await the Bengals to collapse, sit out the whole season, or one way or the other make his approach again to varsity through a authorized problem. Every path carries profession implications, however it could be a path that Stewart and his crew decide. With Bengals camp underway, this standoff has change into one of many largest tales of the offseason, and as of now, we proceed to attend.