The NFL’s only unsigned first-round draft pick has agreed to a deal.
The Bengals and 17th overall pick Shemar Stewart have agreed to his rookie contract.
Stewart had been refusing to sign because the Bengals had been insisting on language that could void his future guarantees. A league source tells PFT that the agreement was reached today involved Stewart accepting the language in exchange for the Bengals adjusting his signing bonus payout, paying him $500,000 more of his signing bonus now.
A defensive end out of Texas A&M, Stewart has the talent to be an elite pass rusher, and the Bengals hope that he’ll make an immediate impact as a rookie on a team that needs more from its defense after missing the playoffs last season despite great years from quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase.
There is now only one 2025 NFL draft pick who has not yet signed his rookie contract: Browns second-round pick Quinshon Judkins, who is facing a domestic violence charge and is not expected to sign soon.