Bengals' Shemar Stewart Reportedly Keeping 'Options Open,' Won't Return to TAMU

Unsigned Cincinnati Bengals draft pick Shemar Stewart is "believed to be keeping all options open" amid stalled NFL contract negotiations, according to Mark Maske, Nicki Jhabvala and Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post.

Texas A&M coach Mike Elko indicated that those options do not include a return to College Station when speaking with ESPN's Shae Cornette on Thursday (h/t ESPN's Ben Baby).

"There's no intentions of Shemar to play for the Aggies this year," Elko told Cornette. "But Shemar has been around. He's very comfortable in our program. Really likes what we do training-wise. He's been training, getting ready for his season this year with the Bengals. We wish him the best."

Stewart is the only first-round pick from the 2025 NFL draft who has yet to sign a professional contract.

Negotiations regarding Stewart's four-year, $18.94 million rookie deal have reportedly stalled over the Bengals' desire to add a "default clause" that would allow Cincinnati to void future guarantees if Stewart breaches the contract, according to former NFL executive Andrew Brandt (h/t Cincinnati Bengals on SI's James Rapien.)

Stewart has been working out this offseason at Texas A&M's training facilities in College Station, the Cincinnati Enquirer's Kelsey Conway previously reported.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler said Wednesday that Stewart has "at least thought about" returning to college football.

"I checked on this because there were some rumors online about whether he would opt out and play in college. I'm told it's unlikely," Fowler said on NFL Live. "He wants to be in Cincinnati, but he has at least thought about like, 'do I go get a huge NIL deal somewhere, play a year in college?' Cincinnati would still own his rights. That would be complicated and messy."

Stewart's agent Zac Hiller told Maske, Jhabvala and Dougherty on Wednesday that "everyone’s goal is to play in the NFL."

“Shemar was so excited to be drafted by Cincinnati. Hopefully he gets an opportunity to be a part of that city," Hiller said.

Several upcoming deadlines could lead to a resolution between Stewart and the Bengals.

Teams can only trade unsigned draft picks up until 30 days before the start of the regular season, giving the Bengals until Aug. 5 to move Stewart, per NBC Sports' Mike Florio.

The Bengals then have until the Tuesday after Week 10, which falls this year on Nov. 11, to sign Stewart and still have him play in the NFL in 2025.

If Stewart remains unsigned by that date, he will have to wait until the 2026 season to play, barring what the NFL CBA defines as "extreme club or extreme personal hardship," per Florio.

In that case, Stewart could remain unsigned until the 2026 draft, at which point he would be eligible to be selected by any team outside Cincinnati, Florio reported.

That would change, however, if Stewart plays college football during the 2025-26 academic year. In that case, the Bengals would continue to retain his NFL rights.

NCAA rules currently deny eligibility to drafted players. Stewart would likely need to challenge those standards in court in order to be approved for a potential return to college athletics, per Maske, Jhabvala, Dougherty.

Stewart isn't the only player whose contract status with the Bengals is uncertain with less than a week left before the start of training camp. Star defensive end Trey Hendrickson, who has previously said he won't play in 2025 on his current contract, has yet to agree to a new deal with the team.