7 hours ago
How did Bengals react to Shemar Stewart's public bashing?
The Cincinnati Bengals haven't said much beyond the expected publicly when it comes to first-round pick Shemar Stewart.
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor says the communication with Stewart is good and other coach-speak things. Defensive coordinator Al Golden has kept it succinct, saying he wants Stewart out there as soon as possible.
Advertisement
What's interesting, though, is considering how the team might've reacted to Stewart's brash, public comments before leaving the last day of minicamp early.
Paul Dehner Jr. provided a glimpse:
'There's no direct blame on Stewart, a 21-year-old, for fully understanding the issues that have transpired on the business side, but the handling of the situation on the whole left an impression. His verbal bombardment of team brass before even taking a snap left a relevant question about who the Bengals acquired with this pick and how much maturing is necessary to reach his potential.'
RELATED: Bengals, Shemar Stewart nuclear option includes 2026 NFL draft route
Advertisement
Frustration from both sides would be understandable at this point. The Bengals reportedly wanted to start a new precedent with certain contract language and Stewart doesn't have a lot of leverage in the situation. But he also not wanting to be the first makes sense.
The Bengals not exactly loving a rookie speaking out in such a manner makes sense, too, so it'll be interesting to see if this drags into training camp and what happens then.
But those Bengals have earned their reputation long ago and will continue to lose the battle in the court of public opinion no matter what ends up happening with Stewart.
RELATED: Bengals standouts after mandatory minicamp includes surprises
This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: How did Bengals react to Shemar Stewart's public bashing?
