Cincinnati Bengals rookie rusher Shemar Stewart left the team’s mandatory mini-camp on Thursday amidst an ongoing contract dispute. And according to the rules in the current NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement, there is an option for the 21-year-old to opt out and get drafted all over again in 2026.
Shemar Stewart Could Re-Enter 2026 NFL Draft
Stewart was selected by Cincinnati with the 17th overall pick in the 2025 Draft. But his issues with g his rookie contract have been ongoing, as there is a dispute between him and the team about the language in the contract that regards the deal’s guaranteed money.
Unsigned first-round DE Shemar Stewart leaves Bengals mandatory minicamp amid lingering contract ime. https://t.co/z8qhcmwl8K
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) June 12, 2025
He has been up front with the media about the challenges, and had interesting comments earlier in the week that turned heads around the league.
Stewart has a handful of options, including a possible trade demand. But perhaps the most interesting one involves the defensive end to go through the draft process once again in 2026. According to Pro Football Talk, NFL players who go the entire year refusing to sign their rookie contracts are eligible to be redrafted the next season, and can be selected by any team except the one who originally picked them.
In order to play at all in 2025, Shemar Stewart would have to sign by the Tuesday following Week 10 of the regular season.
Bengals Dealing With Other Contract Issues
The Bengals have been in the news plenty this offseason thanks to contract happenings. The team inked Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to massive extensions back in March, ending long-lasting negotiations. They have also been dealing with the Trey Hendricks situation, which has caused last year’s NFL sack leader to also skip out on mini-camp.
“For all the rookies, you’d like them to be on the field,” said Bengals head coach Zac Taylor. “But certainly there’s things that happen over the course of an NFL career, and this is one of them right now.”
Taylor expressed optimism but also questioned the comments that were made by Stewart earlier in the week.
