Shemar Stewart's name has been in the headlines a lot for a guy who hasn't stepped on an NFL field yet.
But as the only first-round draft pick yet to sign, the Cincinnati Bengals' rookie defensive end has been thrown into the public drama.
The Bengals took Stewart No. 17 overall out of Texas A&M. He isn't happy with the current language in the contract he's being offered, but it seems like Cincinnati isn't willing to compromise further at this point.
An interesting subplot: Other NFL teams may have not wanted Stewart in the draft anyway. And it had nothing to do with contract worries.
"I think it was more that the production didn’t match the talent with Stewart," SI's Albert Breer wrote on Thursday.
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Stewart is the classic edge rusher in modern times with lots of tools who somehow didn't translate that to college dominance.
Somehow, Stewart had just 4.5 sacks total in three seasons for the Aggies. He had 1.5 sacks in 2022, 1.5 sacks in 2023 and 1.5 sacks in 2024.
That certainly feels like a bit of cause for concern.
The Bengals and Stewart will, probably, come to terms eventually. Then it'll be up to Stewart to prove his talent can actually show up in NFL production.
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