The Cincinnati Bengals stand out as the only NFL team yet to finalize a contract with their first-round draft pick, Shemar Stewart. The rookies are scheduled to report for training camp on July 19, with veteran players following on July 22.

Interestingly, the contention between Stewart and the Bengals centers not on the financials, but rather on specific language within the contract that could void his salary guarantees under certain default conditions. The existing rookie wage scale suggests Stewart, selected as the 17th overall pick, should receive a deal worth $18,969,276, inclusive of a $10,435,836 signing bonus.

The Bengals aim to clarify the contract language to eliminate any uncertainty regarding salary guarantees in the event of a breach by Stewart. Conversely, Stewart’s representatives prefer to mirror the terms established for their late first-round pick from last year, Amarius Mims, who was taken shortly after Stewart.

Contract language disputes of this nature are relatively uncommon. The last notable case occurred in 2018 with linebacker Roquan Smith, who was then the eighth overall pick and encountered resistance regarding his guarantees, specifically in situations involving team suspensions for violations of playing rules. A compromise was eventually reached after negotiations.

Contract guarantees usually stipulate various player defaults that would result in automatic termination of guarantees. For instance, any failure to report, practice, or play for the club—excluding NFL-related injuries—could lead to immediate consequences. Specific exceptions also apply, such as jail time, injury from non-football activities, and player retirement—all of which must be adequately documented within the contract.

The Bengals’ insistence on modifying Stewart’s contract language appears to be a strategic move, aimed to align with their existing procedures already agreed upon with past first-round selections. Such changes could inherently complicate future negotiations for Stewart’s camp, given the established norms for player contracts previously signed by the organization.

The contract delay could ultimately hinder Stewart’s development if prolonged, especially as he missed crucial offseason workouts. While the Bengals could theoretically defer the language amendments to a future draft class cycle, immediate resolutions should dominate their interests to assist in Stewart’s integration into the team.

Additional Articles:

• Back to school? Back to the draft? Shemar Stewart could exploit loophole in chaotic rulebook to burn Bengals
• The previous longest contract disagreement under the rookie wage scale was between the Los Angeles Chargers and third overall pick Joey Bosa in 2016, spanning 31 days.