The Bengals Fumbled the Bag Again: Not Paying Shemar Stewart and Trey Hendrickson Is a Massive Failure

The Bengals are running out of excuses fast. They have Joe Burrow. They have Ja’Marr Chase. They have a fan base that has been all in. And yet somehow, they’re burning it all down over something as fixable as player contracts.

Let’s call it what it is. This isn’t roster strategy. This is self-sabotage.

Two names. One crisis. Shemar Stewart and Trey Hendrickson. One has never played a snap. The other helped build this defense into what it is; both are being disrespected.

Photo Via AP /Stew Milne

Shemar Stewart Was Supposed to Be the Future

Everyone knew what Shemar Stewart could be. Five-star product. Monster out of Opa-locka, Florida. A national recruit with NFL tools before he even hit campus at Texas A&M. Cincinnati saw the vision and made the move.

And from day one, he has looked ready. Stewart showed out in rookie minicamp. He turned heads in OTAs. Coaches have already started whispering that he looks like a long-term cornerstone. Instead of celebrating a steal, the Bengals are fumbling the moment.

Sources say Stewart’s camp is unhappy with his rookie contract structure. Disagreements over bonus language, payout timing, and offset clauses have stalled negotiations. He skipped media appearances. Team marketing quietly stopped featuring him.

He hasn’t even played a down and already feels boxed in. That’s how teams lose trust before a rookie ever suits up.

You don’t spend a first-round pick on a potential Pro Bowler just to argue over technicalities. You back your bet.

Trey Hendrickson Is Still That Guy, and He Knows It

Trey Hendrickson has been the Bengals’ tone-setter. A blue-collar monster off the edge. He was overlooked coming out of FAU and underrated again after leaving New Orleans. But in Cincinnati, he’s been nothing but elite.

Double-digit sacks. Relentless motor. Locker-room heartbeat. He earned every inch of respect and every dollar of his current deal. And still, he outperformed it.

Now, after years of delivering, Hendrickson asked for a deserved extension. What did he get? A lowball offer that does not come close to matching his production or market value. He turned it down. Then he requested a trade.

And he’s right to be frustrated. At 30, he’s not washed. He’s productive, respected, and essential. Losing him would hurt every level of this defense. It would also send the wrong message to every young player in the locker room. Shemar Stewart included.

If the Bengals are willing to shortchange Hendrickson, what hope does Stewart have for a long-term future here?

Photo Via Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

This Isn’t a Cap Issue. It’s a Culture Problem

The Bengals are not strapped for cash. Joe Burrow’s contract was structured to leave room for moves just like this. The cap is not the excuse.

The problem is how they operate.

Refusing to pay proven veterans. Pushing back against rookies before they even take the field. This is not how you build trust. It is how you build tension.

Meanwhile, other contenders are moving smart. Baltimore extends its stars. Kansas City finds ways to stay stacked. Houston just rewarded its next generation before the breakout even happens.

Cincinnati is sitting on their hands and hoping talent forgets how it is being treated.

You cannot lead the league in potential and lag in accountability. You cannot say “Super Bowl or bust” when your front office is scared to spend.

Photo Via Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

The Clock Is Ticking

There is still time to fix this.

The Bengals need to extend Trey Hendrickson. Not with fluff. With guarantees that match his value. They also need to get Shemar Stewart signed and ready, not sidelined by paperwork.

Most of all, they need to show the locker room that this team takes care of its own. That if you produce here, you get rewarded here. That if you commit to the Bengals, the Bengals commit to you.

Because if they don’t, they won’t just lose two defensive players. They’ll lose the locker room, the trust, and the identity they’ve spent the last four years trying to build.

Eli Saari

@ThatManChe On X

@Sidelines_SN On X