Contract Dispute Prevents Bengals Newcomer Shemar Stewart from Signing on
Cincinnati Bengals and Shemar Stewart Reach Agreement on Contract Amid Controversy
The Cincinnati Bengals and first-round pick Shemar Stewart have finally reached an agreement on a four-year, $18M contract, ending a months-long standoff over the "conduct detrimental" clause in Stewart's rookie deal.
Last year, as the Bengals entered training camp, contract standoffs involving star wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins made headlines. This year, it's Stewart's turn to be in the spotlight. Stewart, the league's lone unsigned first-round selection in the 2023 NFL Draft, has been away from the team since minicamp in June due to his dissatisfaction with the contract language.
The dispute over Stewart's contract was centered around the "conduct detrimental" clause, a recent addition the Bengals sought to include in their contracts, aligning with a trend among NFL teams to protect themselves from paying guaranteed sums to players involved in disciplinary or behavioral issues. Stewart's camp wanted his contract to resemble past Bengals first-round contracts, which didn't have this stipulation.
The "conduct detrimental" language in Stewart’s rookie contract gave the team the right to void guaranteed money if Stewart engaged in conduct deemed harmful to the team or the sport. However, Stewart and his agent resisted this broad right for the Bengals to nullify guarantees, arguing that any voiding of guaranteed money should be limited only to the remaining portion of that contract year during which such conduct occurred, not extending to future years.
Eventually, Stewart agreed to sign a fully guaranteed four-year contract with a $10.4 million signing bonus after the Bengals softened the "conduct detrimental" clause so that it no longer permitted outright voiding of guaranteed money as broadly as originally proposed. The final contract language was a compromise that maintained some conduct-related protections for the team but was acceptable enough for Stewart to end his holdout and sign.
The implications of this contract dispute extend beyond the Bengals and Stewart. Teams like the Bengals are pushing to include tougher language around "conduct detrimental" clauses, aiming to protect their financial commitments against player misconduct. Players and agents, on the other hand, are pushing back to limit such clauses to be more narrowly applied, especially regarding guaranteed money protections. The Stewart case could set a precedent for more negotiated balances in rookie contracts between full guarantees and conditional protections tied to conduct.
The Bengals have a history of issues with first-round draft picks, including Akili Smith (1999) and John Ross (2017). The team now has the highest-paid receiver tandem after both Chase and Higgins signed record-setting contracts in March. Trey Hendrickson, a four-time Pro Bowl defensive end, isn't reporting to camp and is seeking a new deal with guarantees beyond the first year.
The dispute is happening in the wake of the NFLPA's collusion scandal over guaranteed money. Former Green Bay Packers vice president Andrew Brandt believes the Bengals are trying to impose their will on rookie contracts to procure guarantee void language. Quarterback Joe Burrow called the all-around acrimony between players and the team "obviously disappointing."
Despite the ongoing contract disputes, the Bengals hope to sign both Stewart and Hendrickson soon and get the defensive reinforcement it will need as it looks to get back to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2022. Stewart has been training at Texas A&M facilities during the contract standoff.
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