Bengals just got called out by their first-round rookie

With the 17th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals selected Shemar Stewart, a defensive end out of Texas A&M. Stewart turned heads at the NFL Combine with his elite athleticism and showed flashes of dominant play in the SEC. What the Bengals didn’t anticipate in their offseason plans was for that first-round pick to hold out of mandatory mini-camp.

Shemar Stewart is sitting out of on-field activities due to a contract dispute with the Cincinnati Bengals. According to him, the issue lies in the language of the deal — specifically, a clause that would allow the team to void any future guaranteed money. Stewart reportedly wants his contract to align with the standard structure given to other first-round picks, without any unusual conditions.

He didn’t hold back in a recent interview with Cincinnati media, making it clear he’s frustrated with how things have been handled so far.

But this might be about more than just Stewart.

While most of the attention has been on his holdout, the situation shines a light on a bigger question: What’s going on with the way the Bengals are handling their defensive players? Veteran edge rusher Trey Hendrickson is also in a dispute with the team. So it’s fair to ask: why is this happening to two key defensive players at the same time? And what message does it send to the rest of the locker room and the league?

Whether they meant to or not, the Bengals are starting to develop a pattern, and Shemar Stewart’s holdout is making people notice.

The Trey Hendrickson saga

In that same interview, Shemar Stewart didn’t just talk about his own contract, he also voiced confusion over what’s going on with Trey Hendrickson, his would-be pass-rush partner.

“In Trey's case, I think it should be a no-brainer, too. He had 17.5 sacks [the last two years]. If I was the GM or if I was the owner, take all my money, but I guess they don't offer it like that."

Hendrickson not only led the league in sacks this season but has also recorded three 10+ sack seasons during his four years with the Bengals. Despite his productivity, the Bengals don’t seem any closer to meeting his contract demands, which have led the star pass rusher to grow frustrated and hold out of mandatory OTAs.

The clock is ticking as Trey Hendrickson’s contract ends in 2026, and it would be unwise for the Bengals to lose him, especially without getting anything in return. And when you look at the timing of the Stewart pick, it’s fair to wonder if the team was already preparing for life after Trey. But letting your top pass rusher walk while your first-round replacement is already in a contract standoff of his own? That’s a situation the Bengals can’t afford to mishandle.

Other notable defensive losses this season

It’s not just Shemar Stewart and Trey Hendrickson. The Bengals have been making a habit of parting ways with key defensive players, starting with linebacker Germaine Pratt.

Pratt led the team in tackles last season and was more than just productive; he was a captain and a vocal leader in the locker room. Trade rumors had been circling all offseason after Pratt reportedly asked out of the team, and instead of finding a deal, the Bengals cut him on Monday, saving $5.8 million in cap space.

The writing may have already been on the wall for Pratt. Cincinnati used two of its draft picks this year, addressing linebacker, notably selecting linebackers Demetrius Knight Jr. from South Carolina in the second round, and Barrett Carter out of Clemson in the fourth round.

Then there’s Sam Hubbard.

Hubbard retired this offseason after suffering a PCL injury late in 2024. His contract was already set to expire in 2025, and there were rumblings the team might try to move him even before the injury. Looking back, the Bengals may have started planning for his departure a while ago as they spent a first-round pick in 2023 on Myles Murphy, a Clemson edge rusher who might’ve been drafted as Hubbard’s eventual replacement.

Bengals have a history of treating defensive players poorly

It might feel like all this drama is new, but the truth is the Bengals have been mishandling defensive talent for years now.

Back in 2021, Cincinnati made it to the Super Bowl for the first time in over three decades. That team was known for its explosive offense, but it was a tough, gritty defense that helped push them over the top. Led by Trey Hendrickson and star safety Jessie Bates, that unit outperformed expectations and played like one of the most cohesive groups in the league. Even if it didn’t look elite on paper.

Fast forward to today, and most of that defense is gone. In the years since, the Bengals have lost key starters like Sam Hubbard, DJ Reader, Larry Ogunjobi, Germaine Pratt, Eli Apple, Chidobe Awuzie, Vonn Bell, Mike Hilton, and most notably, Jessie Bates.

Bates is a perfect example of how this trend started. He wanted a long-term extension before his rookie deal expired in 2021, but negotiations went nowhere. The Bengals hit him with a franchise tag, and the situation quickly turned into a standoff, similar to what we’re seeing now with Stewart and Hendrickson. Bates ended up playing the 2022 season under the tag, but once he hit free agency, he was gone, signing with the Falcons in 2023.

The Bengals’ neglect of their defense hasn’t just hurt individual players, it’s held the entire team back.

Even with Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase putting up monster seasons, leading the league in passing yards, touchdowns, and Ja’Marr winning the receiving triple crown, Cincinnati still managed to miss the playoffs. They finished 9-8 and third in the AFC North. That kind of production on offense should’ve been enough, but the defense just couldn’t hold up its end.

And based on how things are going, it’s hard to see that changing anytime soon. If the Bengals let Trey Hendrickson walk, or worse, lose him for nothing, this defense could be completely gutted. At that point, any Super Bowl window they had might slam shut.

Beyond the on-field impact, it also sends a bad message across the league. When your top players keep running into contract issues, it makes your organization look cheap and worse, like it doesn’t take care of its players. That reputation can stick. It could lead to more holdouts, more messy negotiations, and make it a lot harder to attract top defensive free agents in the future.

If the Bengals don’t course-correct soon, the damage could last a lot longer than just one offseason.

The Bengals plan going forward

It may have made sense at one point to let a few defensive players walk to clear room for Burrow, Ja’Marr, and Tee Higgins’ extensions, but those deals are done. Now it’s time to shift focus and start prioritizing the other side of the ball.

First, they need to extend Trey Hendrickson. Waiting only makes it more expensive. Especially with guys like Micah Parsons and T.J. Watt likely to reset the edge rusher market soon. Locking Hendrickson in now would not only show commitment to the defense but also give him a chance to prep properly for the season ahead.

They also need to get a deal done with Shemar Stewart. He’s a rookie, and for him, missing mandatory OTAs isn’t just a small hiccup, it’s lost time adjusting to NFL speed and physicality. Veterans might be able to skip a few reps and be fine, but for rookies, this is when development starts.

If the Bengals want to turn things around and fix their image among defensive players, this is where they start. Show that the organization values its defenders, handles business the right way, and maybe, just maybe, some goodwill starts to build back up.