Bengals' offer to Shemar Stewart was lacking as to training camp roster bonuses

Bengals defensive end Shemar Stewart took a stand.

Without his rookie contract in place, the 17th overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft was unwilling to participate in the team’s rookie minicamp. Despite the criticism he has received from some, it was absolutely the right move. Given the ease with which rookie deals are now negotiated, no player should set foot on a practice field without the security that comes from the finalization of his rookie deal.

There’s no reason for the team to force any player to assume even the slightest amount of risk. For first-round picks, all four years are fully guaranteed. Once the player signs, the injury risk shifts to the team. Where it should be, if the player is going to be practicing with the team.

Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the Bengals tried to get Stewart signed. As we understand it, the talks bogged down regarding the percentage of compensation in future years to be paid as a training-camp roster bonus.

The training-camp roster bonus has become a device for putting a sizable chunk of the player’s pay in his pockets in future years, early in the season. In this case, the numbers offered by the Bengals reflected a lower percentage than the 17th overall pick received in 2024.

It’s a simple fix. Match or beat the percentage from 2024, and the deal gets done. And Stewart shows up.

With more and more players signing their rookie deals before participating in the rookie minicamp, every player should be willing to take a stand. The message is simple, clear, and as fair as it can be:

If you want me to act like an employee, make me one.