Shemar Stewart News: Idle due to contract dispute

Stewart remains unsigned and is not participating in Bengals offseason workouts due to a dispute over the language in his contract, Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

The Bengals selected Stewart with the No. 17 overall pick in the 2025 Draft, but the two sides have yet to hammer out the details of his contract, and Stewart isn't taking part in practice or workouts with his new teammates. According to Conway, Stewart's agent is requesting that his client's contract language mirror the Bengals' past two first-round picks. For reference, No. 18 overall pick Grey Zabel signed his contract with the Seahawks last week, so Stewart is losing some important reps. This dispute shouldn't drag deep into the summer, and it would be a major shock if Stewart isn't signed relatively soon. The Bengals are scheduled to kick off OTAs one week from Tuesday.