The drawn-out negotiation saga between the Cincinnati Bengals and first-round pick Shemar Stewart has finally wrapped up, with both parties reaching an agreement on a four-year, fully guaranteed rookie contract, as reported by WCPO. The deal secured by the rookie edge rusher out of Texas A&M is set at nearly $19 million, including a sizable $10.4 million signing bonus, with a tweaked payment schedule that pushed up $500,000 of his signing bonus from a December timeframe to an immediate payout.
Following a period of contract language disputes which kept Stewart from participating in the Bengals' mandatory minicamp and the first week of training camp, a compromise was reached, in which the Bengals agreed to move up part of Stewart’s signing bonus, as per NFL, the standoff has wound down with both sides ceding ground, Stewart nodded to the new contractual terms while the Bengals seemed adamant about their stance still managed to find a middle ground.
Cincinnati's executive Duke Tobin expressed understanding of the situation during the team's annual luncheon, "I can’t say I blame Shemar for it. Shemar is just listening to the advice that he’s paying for," Tobin stated, as WCPO detailed. Bengals Owner Mike Brown, initially perplexed by the contract back-and-forth, emphasized the importance of moving forward, saying, "at some point, we've got to put this stuff behind and get him signed."
Stewart's signing was also a relief for his family, with his father, Moe Marquez, expressing optimism for the future, "It’s time to work. This is what we wanted more than anyone else, Shemar is on a mission to prove himself right," Marquez told The Enquirer. With Stewart now able to hit the practice field with his team, the Bengals' focus shifts to All-Pro Trey Hendrickson who remains away from training camp amid negotiations, indicating that he will hold out until an agreement is reached while the Bengals appear prepared for a new round of talks, the deja vu of a standoff potentially on the horizon as preseason looms.
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