Cincinnati Bengals Owner Mike Brown Slams Shemar Stewart’s Contract Standoff as ‘Foolishness’

It’s been over three months since the 2025 NFL Draft, and the Cincinnati Bengals still haven’t reached a deal with rookie defensive end Shemar Stewart. The former Texas A&M standout, selected 17th overall, walked out of minicamp in June and hasn’t returned since.

Mike Brown Blasts the Rookie Contract Dispute

Team owner Mike Brown made his feelings clear when he spoke to the media on Monday. Brown said the negotiation isn’t done yet but stressed that it shouldn’t be taking this long.

“From our vantage point, it’s a form of foolishness. It just ought to get done,” Brown said, as quoted by WLWT Cincinnati.

General manager Duke Tobin echoed those frustrations. He hinted that the real problem might be Stewart’s agents.

“I think Shemar needs to be here,” Tobin said, per The Athletic. “I’m not going to blame Shemar. He is listening to the advice he is paying for. I don’t understand or believe or agree with the advice but I’m not the one paying for it.

“If I felt we were treating him unfairly as it relates to all the other draft picks in this year’s draft then maybe it would be a different story. But we are not. I don’t really understand where things are there.”

Guaranteed Money a Key Issue for Shemar Stewart

So what’s holding things up? According to reports, Stewart’s issue isn’t with the money amount. Instead, it’s about how much of it is guaranteed.

The deal on the table is worth about $18.9 million over four years, the standard for a 17th pick under the NFL’s rookie pay scale. But the Bengals are reportedly pushing for contract language that allows them to cancel future guaranteed money under certain conditions.

As per The Cincinnati Enquirer, this clause would be triggered if a player is involved in actions considered “conduct detrimental to football.” Stewart’s camp isn’t buying that.

Brown Stands Firm on Voiding Terms

Brown addressed that detail head-on, saying it’s only fair for the team to protect itself if a player ends up in trouble.

“If we get a player who gets involved in something like that, or does something that is just unacceptable, guess what? I don’t wanna pay ’em. I really don’t. If he’s sitting in jail, I don’t think I oughta be paying him,” Brown said, as quoted by Fox 19.

The Bengals are trying to set a new standard with their rookie deals, and Stewart is the first to challenge it publicly.

Shemar Stewart Pushes Back Against Bengals’ Demands

Stewart, for his part, made his position clear back in June.

“I’m 100 percent right,” Stewart told Sports Illustrated. “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.”

Brown didn’t hold back in response to that either. He seemed baffled by Stewart’s resistance to the clause.

“There is no dispute over the money. It’s just a dispute in his mind that I guess if he did something that really deserved punishment, that he would want the whole contract guaranteed,” Brown said.

As things stand, neither side looks ready to budge. Whether Stewart returns before the season opener remains to be seen.

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