Former Texas A&M Edge remains unsigned with Cincinnati before Training Camp
Due to a disagreement in the contract language, the Bengals' front office continues to stall, and as Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio puts it, this isn't a regular occurrence compared to past examples where rookies are looking to "squeeze" front offices into shelling out more money.
"That's what the Bengals have done. For reasons neither known nor apparent (other than 'they wanted to'), the Bengals have changed the default language in their contracts to extend the consequences of voided guarantees to the balance of the deal. It's a new term, and this year's rookies are the Cincinnati guinea pigs."
Stewart is looking to be financially protected no matter what happens during his four-year contract with the franchise, and when nearly all of the other 31 NFL teams have come to agreements with their drafted rookies, the fact that a first-round pick is still in this situation just days before NFL training camps begin is truly bizarre.
While some, including Mike Florio, believe this is about "power" from the Bengals' point of view, Stewart's options likely don't include a return to the college football ranks after Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko shot down the idea during SEC media days, while sitting out for a full season to potentially re-enter the draft will place him behind the eight ball on the field.
While this is strictly Florio's opinion, Cincinnati would be wise to finalize a deal this week and avoid any further national embarrassment. In the NFL, winning is everything, and personal empowerment should take a backseat.
"They're prioritizing that power over winning. If they truly cared about winning, they'd come up with a win-win that would get Stewart in camp and get him ready to help the Bengals not stumble out of the gates."
Cincinnati's 2025 training camp will begin on Wednesday, July 23.
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