Is Shemar holding out?

[t3r3e3]

(07-13-2025, 12:44 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: It would have a different payout structure. The teams who already do the waiver like this, have offset it by having a different payout structure so there's less available to potentially void in future guarantees because it's already been paid.

This has also been talked about, including by Stewart's agent who said if he was offered a bonus payout like other teams, the contract would have already been signed.

The problem is the Bengals want the clause some other teams have used, BUT they also want to keep paying their bonuses out in an extended manner like they used to. They're trying to have their cake and eat it too.

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Plus then you'd be on a team that you would trust to actually pay you. 

Lets not pretend he (and the rest of College/NFL) doesn't see the Bengals being the only team forcing players to play under the franchise tag rather than using it as a negotiating tool to get first-year salary decided and give them more time to negotiate. (9 players got tagged last season, ONLY Tee ended up playing under the tag, the other 8 all got paid) Not to mention the Bengals have a 1st-Team All-Pro DE and won't give him the big payday he deserves.

So from Stewart's point of view, he got drafted by a team that's chosen him to be their test subject to immediately screw him in negotiations (they sure didn't try to pull that shit on Chase's contract this offseason), and who if he does turn out to be a great player doesn't seem particularly willing to pay top-of-the-line DE money so he'll just be stuck under team control for 7 years rather than ever getting a big payday.

This is an excellent summary. If the Bengals want those voids they need to structure the contract similarly to other orgs. Mike and Katie pinching pennies yet again, nothing has changed. Temu Front Office in Cincy.