Shemar Stewart, the 17th overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft out of Texas A&M, being absent as his fellow draftees report to training camp. Like many musicians, he finds himself in the midst of a persistent contract feud. The 21-year-old defensive end hasn’t taken part in any of the offseason workouts. He suffered these setbacks largely due to arguments over contract language that might endanger the guaranteed money in his deal. Stewart is the last of the 31 first-round picks yet to sign a rookie contract. His absence is beginning to concern the Cincinnati Bengals organization in full.
The Cincinnati Bengals rookies were due to report for training camp on Saturday. Stewart’s absence exposes a critical hole in negotiations between him and the team. Their projections indicate he should fetch a signing bonus in the neighborhood of $10.4 million. This massive sum underscores how important it is that an agreement be reached. Alongside Stewart, only linebacker Demetrius Knight, the team’s second-round pick, remains unsigned from Cincinnati’s six-member draft class.
Stewart received an invitation to participate in the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Indiana. This decision really limited his options if he indeed wanted to get back into the collegiate game. Earlier this week, Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko made it official on “SportsCenter”—Stewart won’t ever play for the Aggies. This development makes this awful story even worse. To restore him his senior year of eligibility, he’d probably have to sue the NCAA.
Training camp is right down the road, with veterans reporting this Tuesday. The clock is ticking for Stewart to get his contractual conundrums resolved. The Bengals are thrilled to bring their first draft pick on board to shore up an atrocious defensive unit. Without an agreement in ink, his tenure with the organization is far from certain.
Ben Baby, ESPN NFL Nation reporter covering the Cincinnati Bengals. He covered Stewart’s plight and focused on the huge gulf in the current contract talks. Both parties have reached a moment of decision. During informal workouts, they are anxious to find shared understanding long before mandated team functions commence.
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