Shemar Stewart has been quite the subject of conversation for the last three months. He's been involved in a standoff that lasted too long, nearly devolving into what amounts to a contractual hostage situation.
Following Cincinnati Bengals owner Mike Brown's comments on not wanting to pay guys if they're in jail, it seemed like nothing would ever get done, and the possibility of Stewart getting redrafted in 2026 seemed real.
Now, the Bengals finally came to their senses and signed Stewart to end their petty power dynamic. The language in his agreement now makes sense, and now he can join his peers after what was a long standoff.
Stewart finally inks deal with Bengals after months long holdout
Just in: Shemar Stewart and the Cincinnati Bengals reached agreement on a four-year, fully guaranteed $18.97 million contract that includes a $10.4 million signing bonus, per his agent Zac Hiller of LAA.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 25, 2025
Every 2025 first-round pick now has a deal. pic.twitter.com/LU3vRJEl9v
One source tells Pro Football Talk that the agreement reached today involved Stewart accepting the language in exchange for the Bengals adjusting his signing bonus payout, which was the main concern from Stewart all along.
The Bengals are getting an elite pass rusher, and he promised doom on any NFL teams that passed up on him. He made headlines during the NFL combine for his show-stealing performances and might develop into a monster now with something to prove in the NFL.
Now, the Bengals can put all their attention into signing Trey Henderickson. As the leader in sacks last season, it's also embarassing that the Bengals haven't signed Hendrickson yet. The Stewart holdout was enough, but this shows how the Bengals have completely botched this offseason in general.
Hopefully this will be a wake-up call for Brown to sign Hendrickson, and for Jerry Jones to sign Micah Parsons, as he's still looking to ink an extension before the season kicks off.