The Green Bay Packers drafted two edge rushers in April, but they are still searching for a true No. 1 pass rusher. That's why it might make sense for GM Brian Gutekunst and his staff to try to take advantage of the contract standoff between Shemar Stewart and the Cincinnati Bengals.
With all due respect to Barryn Sorrell and Warren Brinson, acquiring Stewart would actually give Green Bay a rookie edge rusher with star upside. Sorrell and Brinson can provide depth, but neither the fourth or sixth-round choice projects to be a true difference maker. At his best, Stewart has an opportunity to blossom into the sort of double-digit sack artist the Packers' defense desperately needs.
Stewart is currently locked in a contract standoff with the Bengals' front office that drafted him. Cincinnati is asking him for certain "clauses" in his contract that differ greatly from what other prospects of his ilk are required to accept. It is not a new development for a Bengals franchise that has a well-earned reputation for trying to save money whenever possible.
Cincinnati’s unsigned first-round draft pick Shemar Stewart now has left mandatory minicamp, per source. Stewart had been attending team activities, but without a signed contract and with the Bengals asking for certain clauses, no longer. pic.twitter.com/qeo492Z6As
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 12, 2025
Admittedly, the odds of Stewart being traded are small. The odds strongly favor he and the Bengals coming to some sort of agreement before the preseason begins in earnest. It would still be wise for the Packers to give Cincinnati a call to see if they can take advantage of the friction between the two parties.
So what would the Packers need to give up for Shemar Stewart?
The Bengals will be looking to recoup serious value if they are going to be forced to part ways with their top draft pick. They selected Stewart with the idea that he would be a key player for them as a rookie. The team needs more help at edge rusher even if they are able to lock Trey Hendrickson down for the long haul.
The challenge for the Packers is that they would only be motivated to make this deal because they also need edge help. It's not as if they have a surplus of defensive end talent they can shift to the Bengals in a trade. Gutekunst and his staff would need to get creative to meet the Bengals' potential asking price.
The only shot Green Bay has of making a deal work would be to pair future draft compensation with one of the two rookie edge rushers they drafted. Sorrell is the fourth round pick so he would presumably have more value to Cincinnati. He is not anywhere near Stewart's level as a prospect but he could at least soak up some snaps for the Bengals as a rookie.
It's hard to imagine the Bengals accepting anything less than a first-round pick in a potential trade. That would allow them to sell the transaction to their fan base as some sort of win. They would paint the picture that they would be receiving a first round and fourth round pick in exchange for their rebel draftee.
The Packers should jump at the deal if they are only required to part with a 2025 first-round pick and Sorrell. The surplus value of getting Stewart right away is worth far more than Sorrell. Defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley would be ecstatic to line Stewart up opposite Rashan Gary next season.
Make no mistake, this trade would still represent a major loss for the Bengals. They should be feeling pressure to build an immediate contender around superstar quarterback Joe Burrow. The mountain of cash they spent this offseason to keep his wide receiver room in tact shows just how much they want to get to a Super Bowl this season.
Of course, the Packers face a similar situation with their own signal-caller. Jordan Love might not be the same level of player as his Bengals counterpart, but he is Green Bay's franchise quarterback. Their front office knows their window for Super Bowl contention is open now. Building a top-flight pass rushing unit would do wonders to boost the Packers' title hopes.
In the end, the idea of the Packers successfully swinging a trade for Stewart is more of a thought exercise than a realistic proposition. The Bengals would likely prefer to have him holdout for a full season rather than deal him to the Packers in any sort of bargain transaction.
Green Bay should be looking to fill one of their defense's biggest efficiencies anyway possible. Swinging a trade for Stewart would shock the NFL but it would upgrade the franchise's Super Bowl chances. At the very least, the Packers should be calling the Bengals to try to steal their highly-touted defensive end.