The Cincinnati Bengals drafted edge rusher Shemar Stewart 17th overall in the 2025 NFL Draft from the Texas A&M Aggies. There was no doubt that the Bengals needed to draft a pass rusher considering the fact that they had a horrendous defense during the 2024 NFL season.
Well, Ari Meirov reported on Tuesday the latest about the Bengals rookie by saying,
“The #Bengals began OTAs today, but first-round pick Shemar Stewart still isn’t practicing as he and the team haven’t yet agreed on a contract.”
This is not a surprise. Not only is Cincinnati having issues with getting its rookie pass rusher signed to a contract, but they have also yet to give defensive end Trey Hendrickson a new contract as well. The Bengals are messing things up.
NFL Fans React To Cincinnati Bengals Shemar Stewart Missing the Start Of OTAs
It is not a surprise that NFL fans had to comment on the Bengals rookie refusing to show up to OTAs. It isn’t a surprise for players who have one-year left on their contract to make a move like this, but for rookies to make moves like this isn’t certainly ideal. Some NFL fans reacted to Cincinnati’s rookie missing OTAs:
The Bengals are so embarrassing it’s not even funny. There’s no way creating cap space should be this difficult. They don’t even have a defense and they’re having issues 😂
— Aidan LaPorta (@AidanLaPorta69) May 27, 2025
Poverty franchise man… losing real Super Bowl chances due to org issues is infuriating
— Hail Mary Sports (@hailmarysportss) May 27, 2025
This is laughable lol don’t know who’s more in the wrong bengals or this Aggie fraud??
— david (@Davethe_King1) May 27, 2025
Bengals front office has got to be one of the worst in the league.
— Chicken Williams (@ChickenWilliamz) May 27, 2025
Bengals can never catch a break
— 🦅Coop〽️ (@QuinyonClamps) May 27, 2025
There were a lot of people who questioned the Bengals pick in the first-round of the 2025 NFL Draft to begin with. Stewart is a freakish athlete, but he didn’t have a lot of stats to show for it during the 2024 college football season with Texas A&M. Many Cincinnati fans are wondering if he wasn’t worth the pick already by pulling this stunt. They just need to sign Stewart and Hendrickson to contracts already and get this drama over and done with.
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