Bengals' DE Shemar Stewart has an avenue to do something unprecedented

Shemar Stewart is still unsigned by the Cincinnati Bengals, and this could actually prompt him to do something truly unprecedented.

The Bengals are up to their old, cheap, and outdated shenanigans once again, as Shemar Stewart still remains unsigned, and at this point, things seem to be getting quite serious, and that isn't just be saying it just to say it.

The defensive end left minicamp on Thursday and is just in a tough spot, as he simply wants a normal rookie contract, and it does not appear like, for whatever reason, the Bengals front office wants to give that to him, and it gets doubly worse when you realize that Trey Hendrickson is still left without a key extension.

Well, there is a chance that Stewart could pull off something unprecedented if this nonsense continues...

Shemar Stewart could sit out and enter the 2026 NFL Draft

The CBA (collective bargaining agreement) actually would allow a player to sit out for an entire season and enter the draft the following year if this situation does not get resolved:

When you consider just how dysfunctional the Cincinnati Bengals front office has been, it would make sense that they're clearly playing hardball with this rookie contract, and it seems like a miracle that they were able to get deals done with Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins.

But the defense is among the worst in the NFL, and without both Stewart and Hendrickson in the picture for 2025, things could get quite awful. Shemar Stewart could realistically sit out a year and enter the 2026 NFL Draft, but Stewart was largely seen as a raw prospect who needs time to develop, so sitting out may only hurt his future NFL prospects.

This is an embarrassing situation for the Cincinnati Bengals and one that needs to be rectified.