Shemar Stewart rookie contract standoff with Bengals explained
Shemar Stewart has yet to sign his rookie contract with the Bengals. Here’s an explanation of where the situation stands.
Joe Burrow got his wish.
Burrow publicly advocated for the Cincinnati Bengals to retain Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins this offseason.
“We all want to stay together, so we want to make it work,” Burrow told NFL Network in February.
The very next month the Bengals re-signed Chase to a four-year, $161 million deal, making him the highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL, and Higgins to a four-year, $115 million pact.
The two now represent the highest-paid receiver duo in the NFL. Cincinnati, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Miami Dolphins are the only three teams in the NFL who have receiver duos earning an annual average of $25 million or over.
Are two receivers absorbing a large percentage of a team’s salary cap a winning formula? It’s not an exact science. The Eagles won Super Bowl 59 with A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith earning at least $25 million a season ago, but the Dolphins missed the playoffs while paying Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle in the same neighborhood. The Bengals were on vacation during the 2024 postseason before they inked Chase and Higgins to mega deals.
Combine Burrow’s five-year, $275 million deal that he signed in 2023, the Bengals are allocating approximately $124 million a year for three players.
The three large contracts have compromised Cincinnati’s defense to some degree. The Bengals and standout defensive end Trey Hendrickson, who led the NFL in sacks in 2024, are in a contract dispute. Meanwhile, 2025 first-round pick defensive end Shemar Stewart and the Bengals are in a contract standoff because of contract language. Stewart is the NFL’s only unsigned 2025 first-round pick.
Defense was the Bengals’ big problem last season. The Bengals lost six games in which they scored 25 points or more and lost four contests where they scored at least 33 points. Cincinnati ranked 25th in both points allowed and total defense last year.
Hendrickson’s indicated that he won’t play under his current contract. It’s hard to imagine any improvement from the Bengals defense sans their top defensive player from a year ago.
The Bengals had a prolific offense last season. Burrow recorded a career-year leading the league in passing yards and touchdown passes. Chase achieved the receiving triple crown. But the Bengals were still on the outside looking in come playoff time in large part because of an inept defense. The Bengals did fire defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo and replaced him with Al Golden. However, the coordinator swap feels like a band aid. The Bengals simply lack talent on defense because they’ve invested heavily on offense — mainly on three players.
Burrow got his wish. The Bengals should once again have a high-powered offense, but they simultaneously handicapped their defense. Is it a winning formula? We’ll see, though, the adage is defense wins championships.
Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.
