Shemar Stewart Isn't Making Many Friends At Bengals Camp

After missing early camp due to a contract holdout, Shemar Stewart sparked a scuffle by hitting franchise QB Joe Burrow during practice.

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Cincinnati Bengals first-round pick Shemar Stewart began his NFL career with a lengthy holdout, arguing that the team wasn't offering him what he considered to be a fair contract. Cincinnati selected Stewart with the 17th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft on April 24 and didn't officially sign his deal until July 27, after the start of Bengals training camp. 

Stewart was the only first-round pick to hold out into training camp, as the penultimate signer – Denver Broncos rookie Jahdae Barron (20th overall selection) – inked his deal on July 16. Generally, it's not a great idea to delay the start of a rookie season, especially for players transitioning to the speed and complexity of the NFL. 

Bengals rookie Shemar Stewart during training camp after ending his contract holdout.

Bengals rookie Shemar Stewart during training camp after ending his contract holdout.

(Phil Didion/The Enquirer/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

Now that Stewart is on the field, he certainly didn't win any favors during Wednesday's practice. The 21-year-old defensive end committed a major training camp sin when he hit superstar quarterback Joe Burrow after Burrow had released a pass. The Bengals offensive line, led by Lucas Patrick, immediately came to the defense of their most important player and a scuffle between the players ensued. 

For the record, veteran offensive lineman Ted Karras said after practice that the kerfuffle might have had more to do with the overall struggles of the offensive line during practice than the hit itself.

"I think we got a little loose from an O-line perspective today," Karras said. "Some things transpired that warranted a response, and Lucas [Patrick] delivered that. I thought we handled it well overall. It wasn't like a shut down the practice type of scuffle. And probably about time we had one of those." 

Still, Karras made it clear that Stewart needed to know better than to hit Burrow during practice. 

"Great player. But, come on, man. That's all our hopes and dreams right there," Karras said of Stewart and Burrow. "And we got to be better, too. That's on us."

Perhaps Stewart might know that if he had spent more time on the practice field rather than holding out for a contract, but here we are. 

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Dan began his sports media career at ESPN, where he survived for nearly a decade. Once the Stockholm Syndrome cleared, he made his way to OutKick. He is secure enough in his masculinity to admit he is a cat-enthusiast with three cats, one of which is named "Brady" because his wife wishes she were married to Tom instead of him.