The Cincinnati Bengals are facing a disaster with their top edge rushers this offseason. Both Trey Hendrickson and Shemar Stewart are in contract disputes with the team with no end in sight. Now both of those players are not present at the team’s mandatory minicamp.
Stewart made headlines on Thursday when he left Cincinnati’s mandatory minicamp after showing up earlier in the week.
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor addressed Stewart’s departure on Thursday morning.
“He wasn’t here today. So we just focus on the guys that were here,” coach Zac Taylor said after practice on Thursday. “He and I have had private conversations.”
The Bengals want to set a new precedent with Stewart’s contract. Cincinnati is aiming to add a clause to Stewart’s contract that would allow the team to void future guarantees. Stewart has remained steadfast that he will not practice without a contract, and he will not sign a contract with that clause in it.
“There’s a first for everything,” Taylor added. “Every year, you kinda learn something new in this position, and this is just one of those things that the players have managed really well. We keep the team moving, and when he jumps on the field, that’ll be great for our team.”
It will be interesting to see how this situation develops. Neither side appears willing to budge anytime soon.
Shemar Stewart slams Bengals’ front office over contract dispute
It is safe to say that Shemar Stewart is not happy with Cincinnati’s front office right now.
Stewart slammed Bengals’ brass in an interview on Tuesday where he accused the front office of not having its priorities straight.
“I’m 100 percent right. I’m not asking for nothing y’all have never done before. But in y’all case, y’all just want to win arguments (more) than winning more games,” Stewart said, referring to Cincinnati’s front office.
It is easy to understand where Stewart is coming from here. One goal of the last CBA between the NFL and NFLPA was to make rookie contracts almost universal. Stewart is seeking a similar contract to other players. Meanwhile, the Bengals are the side demanding something outside of the norm.
Regardless, the Bengals need to figure out how to resolve these contract disputes before the situation gets out of hand.
If the Bengals do not have Hendrickson or Stewart, they will be left with Myles Murphy and Joseph Ossai as their starting defensive ends.
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