The Cincinnati Bengals have experienced their fair share of disgruntled players in contract disputes. Have the Bengals handled the Tee Higgins situation well in the past? Are they currently handling the Trey Hendrickson situation well? Regardless, the Shemar Stewart drama is on another level and could reflect poorly on the rookie’s character.

Shemar Stewart was selected out of Texas A&M with the 17th overall pick this spring. When the Bengals submitted this pick, they likely saw a promising prospect who could produce early in his career and potentially help a transition if Hendrickson were to leave the organization. Hendrickson is in the middle of his own contract negotiations and is missing the team’s mandatory minicamp after leading the NFL in sacks (17.5) in 2024.

It’s normal for veterans to miss minicamp and collect fines before cashing out with a high-dollar contract. It’s a small sacrifice for a bigger reward in the future. Trey Hendrickson is a proven veteran and has the luxury to make this call.

Shemar Stewart enters rare territory as a rookie to skip mandatory minicamp. His actions are ill-advised.

Without understanding the details and getting into a he-said scenario of the negotiations, we can only speculate on what perception Shemar Stewart is giving his teammates, his coaching staff, fans, and the entire NFL.

First impressions are everything, and Shemar Stewart is getting off to the wrong foot. Stewart has 1.5 sacks in each of his three seasons playing at Texas A&M, totaling 4.5 career college sacks as a pass rusher. His potential is in his athleticism, and the sky is the limit with his potential. Stewart’s physical stature and explosive play are what made him a first-round talent in this year’s NFL Draft.

A player like Stewart, in an ideal world, would be working closely with the coaching staff on how to best use that raw talent to become a mainstay in the NFL. Instead, Stewart is missing meaningful reps and practice as he left mandatory minicamp on Thursday.

The Cincinnati Bengals would love to use Stewart. Not only is Hendrickson missing until he gets a new contract or is traded away, but Sam Hubbard retired this offseason. This leaves the Bengals thin at the edge rusher position, relying on Joseph Ossai, Myles Murphy, and other players who are on the bubble.

This isn’t a case of the Bengals mishandling talent contracts. If it is, that won’t be the major headline.

It would serve Shemar Stewart’s best interests to enter the league humbly.

Stewart’s teammates’ first impression is likely Stewart will not be a team player and act very selfishly. When football is a team game, Stewart will be in it for himself.

Stewart’s coaching staff’s first impression is likely that Stewart will stir drama in the locker room and be quick to throw his superiors under the bus in the media.

Cincinnati Bengals fans are questioning Stewart’s loyalty to their team and might be less inclined to buy his jersey.

The entire NFL has its eye on this situation, and it doesn’t appear that Stewart will play for your team if circumstances aren’t ideal. So why would you acquire Stewart if he doesn’t sign a contract with the Bengals?

No matter how you slice it, Stewart doesn’t come away unscathed from this contract dispute. With zero professional playing experience, his demands and his stand-off are being met with shock and awe.

This is the quickest way to find yourself without a job. And since Stewart hasn’t proven anything, it’ll be easy for him to fall into obscurity the longer this dispute is prolonged.

Shemar, report to camp and get to work… before someone else takes your spot and you’re an afterthought.