The Cincinnati Bengals are the only NFL that hasn’t signed its first-round pick. Rookies report to Bengals training camp on July 19. The veteran player reporting date is July 22.
The dispute between edge rusher Shemar Stewart and the Bengals isn’t over money. Under the rookie wage scale that was implemented by the 2011 NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement, Stewart’s fully guaranteed four-year contract as the 2025’s 17th overall pick should be worth $18,969,276, which includes a $10,435,836 signing bonus.
The disagreement is over the language in Stewart’s contract that would trigger the voiding of his salary guarantees with a breach or default by him. The Bengals want to tighten up the language to remove any ambiguity over whether all remaining guarantees in the contract void with a default. Stewart’s camp prefers the language the Bengals used with their 2024 first round-pick, Amarius Mims, who was selected one spot later than Stewart at 18th overall.
Disputes over this type of language with rookie contracts are rare. The last one occurred in 2018 with linebacker Roquan Smith, the eighth overall pick. Smith missed the first two weeks of training camp because he and his agents objected to language where the Chicago Bears had the right to void his guarantees for an ejection or suspension from a game for violating NFL playing rules. A compromise was reached on the number of games in a suspension necessary to trigger voiding.
Contract guarantees typically void for an exhaustive list of defaults by a player. The default language in Mims’ contract that controls the voiding of his guarantees reads as follows:
“In the event Player fails or refuses to report to Club, fails or refuses to practice or play with Club (other than for an NFL football-related injury sustained while performing his services under this Contract), but specifically including but not limited to failure to perform due to incarceration (unless such incarceration is less than 72 hours and Player does not miss a game), death, injury incurred as a result of engaging in a non-football related activity, or if Player leaves Club without its consent, or if Player retires, or if Player is suspended by NFL or Club for Conduct Detrimental (other than a suspension of no more than three games for violating the NFL Playing Rules), or if Player is suspended for violating the NFL Personal Conduct Policy, or if Player is suspended for violating the NFL Policy on Performance Enhancing Substances, or if Player is suspended for violating the NFL Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse, or the NFL Gambling Policy or if Player makes any public comment, including but not limited to the newspaper, magazines, television, radio, social media or internet that breaches Player’s obligation of loyalty to Club and/or undermines the public’s respect for the Club, Club coaches, or Club management (provided that upon the first such comment Player shall receive a written warning and upon the second and any other subsequent comment, Player shall be in default of this Guarantee) or if Player otherwise materially breaches any provision of this Contract, then Player shall be in default (‘Default’). If Player is in Default, this Guarantee shall immediately be deemed null and void from the beginning and in its entirety regardless of whether or not the Guarantee had otherwise been earned according to its terms at the time of Player’s Default. In the event of such Default, Player will be entitled to earn the remaining Paragraph 5 salary on a non-guaranteed basis subject to any applicable fines and/or forfeitures.”
This language appears with each salary component that is guaranteed in contracts. In Stewart’s case, that would be with his 2025 through 2028 base salaries as well as his 2026 through 2028 third-day-of-training camp roster bonuses for a total of seven different occasions. Obviously, training camp roster bonus is referenced in the default language instead of Paragraph 5 salary when applicable.
There isn’t standard voiding language in the NFL. The triggers vary depending on team convention and the attention an agent pays to the language. For example, fines for conduct detrimental or associated with the substance abuse program void guarantees in Dallas Cowboys rookie contracts dating back to Byron Jones in 2015. The verbiage about public comments usually isn’t in the default language with Atlanta Falcons contracts.
Most teams have language stating that all guarantees void with any breach or default by a player. This is the precise change the Bengals want to make with Stewart. The Bengals would need Stewart’s camp to agree to the inclusion of “at any time during the contract” or something to that effect after “In the event” with their default language.
Other teams having it, which is essentially Cincinnati’s stance, isn’t the most compelling argument considering the Bengals already have well-established practices with default language. What the Bengals want to do would be similar to the Los Angeles Rams insisting on offsets for the guarantees with their 2026 first-round pick to conform with the rest of the NFL when their previous first-round picks haven’t had offsets. Practically every team, besides the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Rams, has offsets for the guarantees with draft picks. The proposed change surely would be a sticking point for the agent of that Rams first-round pick. The agent wouldn’t want to be responsible for a new team contract precedent that would apply to other Rams first-round picks in the future.
Mims’ default language is the same as in Pro Bowl quarterback Joe Burrow’s 2023 contract extension that made him the NFL’s highest-paid player — with one minor change. Suspensions for violating the NFL Gambling Policy were added with Mims.
The default language in the contracts wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins signed in March doesn’t have the change that the Bengals want with Stewart. There were a couple of slight modifications to Chase’s and Higgins’ language that weren’t substantive.
Stewart’s camp is right on principle. It’s unclear why the Bengals decided to try to institute the language change with Stewart. Compounding matters for the Bengals is the contract stalemate with Pro Bowl edge rusher Trey Hendrickson. Stewart was drafted to replace Sam Hubbard, who retired during the offseason, as a pass rusher.
The easier situation to resolve should be Stewart’s since his dispute isn’t about money. Hendrickson has outperformed his contract and is looking for a significant raise in a multi-year contract extension.
The default language for the two wide receivers should be sufficient under the circumstances. The Bengals could table the language change until 2026 since there should be some urgency to get Stewart into training camp on time. Stewart didn’t participate in any of the offseason workouts after being drafted. His camp felt the participation agreement that’s typically signed before a rookie contract is completed didn’t provide adequate protection in case of an injury. Stewart continuing to miss time is in training camp could delay his development and ability to make a contribution immediately.
The Bengals wanted to use Mims’ rookie participation agreement language. The changes Stewart’s camp requested were denied. The Bengals are trying to have it both ways where existing language is acceptable in one instance and insufficient in the other.
A potential way for the Bengals to get their desired language is to the give Stewart a better signing bonus payment schedule than their most recent first-round picks. My understanding is the Bengals haven’t expressed an interest in offering anything in return for their preferred language.
Daxton Hill, Myles Murphy and Mims, who were selected 31st overall, 28th overall and 18th overall, respectively, in 2022, 2023 and 2024, received half of their signing bonus upon execution of their contracts and the remainder on Dec. 1. Chase, who was 2021’s fifth overall pick, got 65.74% of his signing bonus upon execution. Doing something along those lines for Stewart might be a fair trade off if the desired language is that important to the Bengals.
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The longest contract dispute for an incoming NFL player under the rookie wage scale was between the Los Angeles Chargers and third overall pick Joey Bosa in 2016. Bosa missed 31 days before signing his contract.
The disagreement was largely over the payment schedule of Bosa’s signing bonus, the inclusion of roster bonuses and related language if the deal contained offsets. A major concession the Chargers made to Bosa was a better payment schedule than they typically have given to players with big signing bonuses.
It would be a major surprise if it took longer for there to be a resolution with Stewart than in Bosa’s case. Cincinnati’s heavy-handed approach has already ruined the chance to create any goodwill with Stewart’s camp that could have potentially been used down the road. Continuing with a take-it-or-leave-it attitude will likely ensure that Stewart’s camp will fully exploit any leverage they may have in future negotiations with the Bengals whether with Stewart or another player.
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Author: Joel Corry
July 16, 2025 | 4:16 pm
