"It's kind of disappointing" - Shemar Stewart breaks silence on skipping mandatory minicamps amid contract standoff with Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals took defensive end Shemar Stewart with the No. 17 pick in this year's NFL draft. However, the first-round pick is yet to sign his rookie contract with the franchise.

Stewart did not attend the Bengals' mandatory minicamp session on Tuesday and later broke his silence on the contract standoff with the team.

"I've been doing this for most of my whole life, and then all of a sudden it's gone over something very simple to fix," Stewart said. "It's kind of disappointing.

"I can't say what I really want to say., but it's their contract. They can do what they want with it."

Paul Dehner Jr.

@pauldehnerjr

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The Shemar Stewart conversation at his locker is obviously not great. Clear that frustration is bubbling up from a small annoyance to something more long-lasting.

Most notable: "Something very simple to fix. It's kind of disappointing."

Interesting to see the disenchantment with the organization's handling of this coming through so clearly now.

"I can't say what I really want to say. It's their contract. They can do what they want with it."

Stewart played his entire three-year collegiate career at Texas A&M. He racked up 65 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 12 tackles for loss, four passes defended, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble with the Aggies.

Although Stewart didn't post big numbers during his college career, he showed great potential, which is why the Bengals took him as their first-round pick.

However, it appears that the player is not too happy with the rookie contract that Cincinnati has offered him. The Bengals will host practice sessions on Wednesday and Thursday before heading into the summer break. It will be interesting to see if Stewart will continue to hold out amid his contract standoff.

Shemar Stewart takes cheeky dig at Bengals' front office amid contract standoff

Cincinnati Bengals DE Shemar Stewart- Source: Getty

Shemar Stewart took a cheeky dig at the Bengals' front office on Tuesday while addressing his contract dispute.

"I'm 100 percent right," Stewart said in the locker room. "I'm not asking for nothing y'all have never done before. But in y'all case, y'all just want to win arguments (more) than winning more games."

The Bengals need to be careful with their new contract offers to remain within the NFL's salary cap limit. They handed lucrative extensions to wideouts Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins in the offseason.

Moreover, Cincinnati's four-time Pro Bowl defensive end, Trey Hendrickson, is entering the final year of his contract in 2025. He is another player who did not attend Tuesday's mandatory minicamp session.