Cincinnati Bengals’ first spherical decide Shemmer Stewart has turn into the one unsigned participant from the category of 2025 leaving camp over a contract dispute.
Athletic reviews that Stewart, who has not but participated in rookie OTAs or different workforce actions, has left Bengals camp on Thursday to keep away from being a distraction for his teammates.
The coronary heart of the matter is the language included in Stewart’s rookie contract “which might void future assured cash.” ESPN reviews.
As NBC Sports reviews, “Bengal claims that Stewart in yearly of the contract a contractual clause wherein the defaults override all remaining ensures. The Bengalis have by no means beforehand insisted such language.
On Wednesday, Stewart left the reporter and there was little doubt as to the place he stood on the difficulty.
“I’m 100% right,” Stewart insisted. “I’m not asking something I’ve by no means finished earlier than, however in each case, every little thing simply desires to win the argument as a substitute of profitable extra video games.”
Despite robust phrases from the seventeenth general decide, the Bengalis seem keen to dig deeper and unfold the state of affairs. However, if Cincinnati refuses to barter and take away the clause, Stewart has a number of choices.
He will not have the ability to play within the NFL in 2025 until he performs for Bengal, however he was in a position to sit by the season and participate within the 2026 NFL Draft. Stewart was additionally in a position to play in one other professional soccer league. The UFL season will finish this weekend, however the Canadian Football League (CFL) season has already begun.
Given the extremely publicized contest with Bengal’s different defensive facet, Trey Hendrickson, it seems that Cincinnati does not have one of many two-star cross rushes in camp any time quickly.