One of the top picks in this year’s NFL Draft is in a dispute with the team that picked him. Now, rumors suggest he may consider shunning the league to return to college.
With the 17th selection in this year’s draft, the Cincinnati Bengals selected Texas A&M defensive end Shemar Stewart.
The pick comes as the Bengals lost pass rusher Sam Hubbard to retirement, while the team is in the midst of a contract dispute with defensive end Trey Hendrickson.
Unfortunately, there also appears to be a contract dispute with Stewart – who doesn’t seem to be happy with negotiations with the Bengals.
In the middle of this dispute, Stewart has been spotted back in practice with his old college team – leading some to suggest that he might consider a return to school.
Bud Elliot from 24/7 Sports reported, ‘A guy who has had some good [Texas] A&M stuff in the past, he hit me, he’s like, “Hey, Shemar might end up back here”.
Bengals draft pick Shemar Stewart has been spotted training at his old college, Texas A&M
It led some to wonder if Stewart (4) could try and make a return to the Aggies next season
This comes as the Bengals are in a dispute with another pass rusher, Trey Hendrickson
‘He has been at College Station. He has been fully involved in workouts. He could try to come back and play again this season and go into the draft again next year.’
While some Bengals fans might have begun to worry, those reports had cold water thrown on them by Cincinnati Enquirer reporter Kelsey Conway.
‘Let me clear this up for everyone. Shemar Stewart lives in Texas when he’s not in Cincinnati,’ the Bengals beat reporter posted.
‘I can confirm from a source that he is training at A&M by himself using their facilities (very common) to get ready for the upcoming NFL season. Not with the Texas A&M team. Carry on.’
This is indeed a common practice, but additionally, the NCAA doesn’t allow players who have entered the draft (or who have been selected) to return to college. If a player stays in the draft by a certain deadline, they forgo all remaining collegiate eligibility.
Stewarts holdout comes as Hendrickson remains unhappy with his current contract just a week before he’s expected to report to training camp.
Hendrickson is expected to be earning over $30m per year, but it’s not clear if the Bengals will be willing to meet that salary.
