Stewart is signed!

[Nicomo Cosca]

The Bengals gave Shemar Stewart an extra $550K of guaranteed money in addition to the 50 percent of his signing bonus they give to their first round picks as compromise for the new language they are adding to the contract

— Kelsey Conway (@KelseyLConway) July 25, 2025

Honestly I think both sides ended up looking bad in the end. Squabbling over peanuts in the grand scheme of things.

[Goalpost]

Obviously the language in there was very important to the Bengals and they will use it going forward.

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(Yesterday, 08:02 PM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote:

The Bengals gave Shemar Stewart an extra $550K of guaranteed money in addition to the 50 percent of his signing bonus they give to their first round picks as compromise for the new language they are adding to the contract

— Kelsey Conway (@KelseyLConway) July 25, 2025

Honestly I think both sides ended up looking bad in the end. Squabbling over peanuts in the grand scheme of things.

Probably, but you also have to keep in mind... Stewart is part of a union. You don't want to be the guy who accepts reduced terms in exchange for nothing, because then you've set the precedent that everyone after you should also accept reduced terms in exchange for nothing. Now the precedent is that in exchange for those terms being worse, you get more money.

Just look at how much more guaranteed money QBs have been getting since the Watson deal. It didn't give them fully guaranteed, but it sure as hell gave them a whole lot more. Every move like this is setting up you and others for the next move. Accepting a loss and getting nothing in return is how you start backsliding.

The early 2nd round picks this year getting fully guaranteed contracts have set it up for future early 2nd round picks. It also made it better for guys later down like Knight who got the most guaranteed for his pick. All about precedent.

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(Yesterday, 08:07 PM)Goalpost Wrote: Obviously the language in there was very important to the Bengals and they will use it going forward.

Wasn't important enough to the Bengals to try it with any of the free agent contracts or extensions they gave out. They made sure to pick someone with less leverage than Chase, Tee, Gesicki, etc to try to implement it on.

[BengalsLUFC]

(Yesterday, 08:01 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: How is it pathetic from the agent if he got a higher signing bonus that the Bengals weren't originally offering in exchange for accepting something that the previous 1st round rookies for the Bengals didn't have to accept? That's negotiation and compromise.

Their stance was they didn't want the clause without getting something in return, and improved payout language was what they had specified as what they wanted in return. They got it. He literally did his job.

500k moved forward by a couple of months watch the **** out athletes first there’s a new boss in town.

He’s been crying to anybody that would listen about how it wasn’t about the money it was about the language he caved and the FO basically took 20 dollars out of their wallet wiped their arse with it and threw it at him and told him to go away.

As much as I can’t stand Katie and whoever else handles the contracts they made this agent look like a tit.

[Soonerpeace]

To get Shemar Stewart on the field, both sides compromised.
— Stewart agreed to Cincy’s new language.
— The #Bengals moved $500K of Stewart’s signing bonus up and paid up front, rather than pay it December. https://t.co/bAysRfZMNX

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 25, 2025

[Luvnit2]

(Yesterday, 08:07 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: Probably, but you also have to keep in mind... Stewart is part of a union. You don't want to be the guy who accepts reduced terms in exchange for nothing, because then you've set the precedent that everyone after you should also accept reduced terms in exchange for nothing. Now the precedent is that in exchange for those terms being worse, you get more money.

Just look at how much more guaranteed money QBs have been getting since the Watson deal. It didn't give them fully guaranteed, but it sure as hell gave them a whole lot more. Every move like this is setting up you and others for the next move. Accepting a loss and getting nothing in return is how you start backsliding.

The early 2nd round picks this year getting fully guaranteed contracts have set it up for future early 2nd round picks. It also made it better for guys later down like Knight who got the most guaranteed for his pick. All about precedent.

Good post

All very true for players

The same goes for Bengals FO, they also wanted to get that language in this and future contracts. You can bet the language is also in other and maybe every contract now.

[*Synric*]

Good that means he will likely be in Cincy for the first day in shells.

[Soonerpeace]

JMO Shemar told his agent this ain’t working. His agent needed the extra signing bonus to save face. Haven’t seen if they guaranteed money was different.

[Soonerpeace]

From The Insiders on @NFLNetwork: The #Bengals and rookie Shemar Stewart have a deal… and let’s never discuss this holdout ever again. pic.twitter.com/3MRZB5L5ac

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 25, 2025

[Bronxbengal]

(Yesterday, 07:53 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: Interesting take. Kind of like guilty until proven innocent.

Uh..yes..the hill he was going to stand on was quite stupid since multiple teams already had the language.  Quoting sOP, “Foolish”

[Ell Prez]

(Yesterday, 07:36 PM)BengalsLUFC Wrote: The language is in there he got a higher signing bonus.

All this could have been avoided months ago

Pathetic from the agent.

Not really. Shemar didn’t want any of the language. Bengals did and they didn’t want to pay more. In sure the bengals thought they didn’t need to budge at all. Shemar showed he’s serious so the bengals had to give a little. If more money would have gotten it done, shemar would have stayed off saying I want more money. This was the compromise and it took time

Im glad it got done. Let’s see if this kid can add any firepower to the defense. We sure need it.

[BengalsBong]

Bengals fans fighting with each other before he signs and after he signs nothing has changed here.

Welcome to the team Shemar get to work.

[*Au165*]

(Yesterday, 08:14 PM)Synric Wrote: Good that means he will likely be in Cincy for the first day in shells.

Since he hasn’t been here I believe he still has to go through ramp up doesn’t he?

[cinci4life]

Great news! Get Trey signed now!

[Essex Johnson]

Great news, Who Dey

[*Synric*]

(Yesterday, 08:36 PM)Au165 Wrote: Since he hasn’t been here I believe he still has to go through ramp up doesn’t he?

Yea they will do a conditioning test likely and get him in position drills. 

[RunKijanaRun]

(Yesterday, 08:45 PM)Synric Wrote: Yea they will do a conditioning test likely and get him in position drills. 

NICE.

Now get Trey done and let’s roll

[Clark W Griswold]

(Yesterday, 08:35 PM)BengalsBong Wrote: Bengals fans fighting with each other before he signs and after he signs nothing has changed here.

Welcome to the team Shemar get to work.

Yep - players and owners are getting rich because we all love it so much. I know this and accept it so I don’t give a crap how much they have to pay or whose is to blame. Just get the players signed and out there - now get Trey signed so we can have the best version of this team.

And don’t concern yourself with future cap issues - you are a Bengals fan so you know our ownership would never do that (even if it might not be a bad idea during this win now phase).

Now we can all watch and root for Stewart to blossom into the player his talent says he should become.

[BrownAssClown]

Good. Now get on the field and play some damn FOOOSSBALL!!!