NFL analyst slips in "extreme" Plan B for Shemar Stewart amid Bengals rookie's contract standoff

The saga of the Cinicantti Bengals and Shemar Stewart has been well documented. Despite picking the DE in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft, the Bengals still haven't offered him a contract. On Thursday, NFL insider Jordan Reid suggested a Plan B to Stewart.

It is reported that the Bengals want to put in a new clause in Stewart's contract, and both parties are at a standoff. Stewart has still been attending all the team's minicamps despite not being signed.

"For those wondering (and if it even gets to this extreme), Shemar Stewart can re-enter the 2026 draft, but he would have to sit out a year," Reid wrote on X. "This would make him eligible to be selected by any team other than CIN. A year off for a pass rusher that needs development is not ideal."

Shemar Stewart makes his feelings known about not skipping minicamps due to contract standoff with Bengals

In his three-year college career, Shemar Stewart generated 65 tackles, 4.5 sacks, four passes defended and two fumbles recovered for Texas A&M. This was enough to get the attention of some big NFL teams earlier this year.

The Bengals were the ones to finally pick Stewart in the first round. However, due to the aforementioned standoffs, his NFL career aspirations are blurred. On Tuesday, the DE made his thoughts known about skipping the Bengals' OTAs.

"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."

It'll be interesting to see if the Bengals will offer Stewart a deal or if he'll follow Jordan Reid's advice and re-enter the NFL draft next year.