Bengals' Shemar Stewart Reportedly Still Missing Workouts amid Contract Dispute

After sitting out rookie minicamp earlier this month due to a contract dispute, Shemar Stewart is poised to sit out the next phase of the Cincinnati Bengals' offseason activities until the situation is resolved.

Per Fox Sports' Jordan Schultz, Stewart is skipping out on phase two of Cincinnati's offseason program due to a disagreement over the contract language in his rookie deal.

There are several 2025 first-round selections that remain unsigned, including each of the top five picks. However, the Bengals appear to be the team having an issue getting their players to participate in organized team activities.

Stewart isn't the only Bengals rookie involved in a contract dispute right now. Second-round pick Demetrius Knight Jr. didn't participate in drills during rookie minicamp.

"They are just working through their contracts right now. They’ve had a great attitude and I’m excited about both of those guys," head coach Zac Taylor said of both rookies on May 9.

Even though the NFL has a rookie wage scale, there is specific language within the contract that can require negotiation between the player and the team.

Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio reported on May 11 that talks between Stewart and the Bengals have been "bogged down regarding the percentage of compensation in future years to be paid as a training camp roster bonus."

A training camp roster bonus gives the player a percentage of their money early in the year.

Per CBS Sports' Joel Corry, there's been a push in recent years from first-round rookies to receive training camp roster bonuses that get paid no later than August because in 2021 the NFL switched the payout structure for a player's base salary from 18 weeks that covers the regular season to a period of 36 weeks.

Stewart, as the No. 17 overall pick, is locked into a four-year rookie deal that will pay him $18.9 million with a $10.4 million signing bonus.

The next steps in Cincinnati's offseason program include organized team activities from May 27-29 and June 2-4, followed by mandatory minicamp from June 10-12. That does give the front office time to keep negotiating with Stewart's camp to resolve the dispute and get him on the field to start preparing for his rookie season.