The Cincinnati Bengals and their 2025 first-round pick, Shemar Stewart, have been at odds over future guarantees in his rookie contract. Their well-chronicled stalemate has reached unprecedented levels, with chatter of the edge defender potentially returning to college this season and re-entering the NFL Draft in 2026. However, his alma mater, Texas A&M, won't be an option.
Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko was asked about the speculation surrounding Stewart possibly rejoining the Aggies and shut the idea down -- hard. Despite the latter reportedly working out in College Station while away from the Bengals, a reunion is out of the cards. That was made abundantly clear, giving Cincinnati another leg up in their dispute.
Texas A&M HC Mike Elko shuts down Shemar Stewart returning to Aggies
"There's no intentions of Shemar [Stewart] to play for the Aggies this year," Elko stated, according to ESPN's Shae Cornette and Ben Baby. But Shemar has been around. He's very comfortable in our program. Really likes what we do training wise. He's been training, getting ready for his season this year with the Bengals. We wish him the best."
Notably, Elko acknowledged that Stewart's preparing for his upcoming campaign with the Bengals. The Aggies' leader, like many of us, are calling the defensive end's bluff and expect him to suit up for Cincinnati. That may be difficult to envision now given the current circumstances, though it's the path of least resistance to end this ugly, bizarre situation.
Elko's comments support the sentiment that it's a question of when Stewart shows up to work for the Bengals, not if. Texas A&M isn't an option, largely because rules forbid it. The only for the No. 17 overall selection to reclaim his final year of collegiate eligibilty would be by taking the NCAA to court.
We hate to break it to Stewart, but winning a lawsuit against a national, multi-billion dollar corporation in his case is highly unlikely. Per Baby, that may still be in consideration, though his "most desirable outcome was to play for the Bengals this season." Moreover, Cincinnati isn't necessarily doing anything wrong, albeit cheaping out on someone they ostensibly want and believe in, given his lofty draft billing.
Texas A&M is out of the question for Shemar Stewart, but re-entering the 2026 NFL Draft isn't
Here's where things get really interesting. Texas A&M is off the table, but Stewart can choose to not sign his deal with the Bengals or play football at all this year. As CBS Sports' John Breech laid out, sitting out the entire NFL and college season allows any team but Cincy to choose him in 2026.
Yes, Stewart wouldn't be on the field for an entire season. Yet, if he's firm on his stance and the relationship with the Bengals sours enough, this gives him a get out of jail free card. The 21-year-old has until the Tuesday after Week 10 to put pen to paper, which marks a early-to-mid-November deadline.
If Stewart managed to finesse the system like this but went undrafted in 2026, he'd have the ability to sign with any team. As Breech points out, maybe front offices are wary of choosing him after his standstill with the Bengals. It's probably far-fetched to go from Day 1 prospect to completely ignored, but crazier things have happened.
Alternatively, Stewart can asked the Bengals to trade him. Perhaps another franchise is willing to meet his demands. Nonetheless, Cincy would have to move expeditiously to make this happen due to league rules, with an early-August cutoff point.