NFL fans have blasted Cincinnati Bengals rookie dynamo Shemar Stewart for not participating in any on-field work until his contract is finalized.
Even with the typical injury waivers for rookies, which helps plenty of others get on the field before putting pen to paper, Stewart has refused to don his Bengals gear.
Stewart was a highly touted prospect coming out of Texas A&M, as one of the best defensive end’s in the Class of 2025.
But now, his brash act has been called out by football fans and deemed as rude before he has taken a single NFL snap.
Stewart was still made available to the media on Friday, and he explained his rationale, as he was present at the team’s rookie minicamp without taking part in any drill.
‘I just decided not to sign those papers,’ Stewart said.
Stewart, who was already assigned No 97 by the Bengals, said he hopes to get his contract resolved by Monday to join his new teammates.
NFL fans have blasted Cincinnati Bengals rookie dynamo Shemar Stewart on social media
He is not participating in any on-field work until his rookie contract with the team is finalized
‘I would love to be part of the team,’ Stewart added. ‘I hate being on the sideline looking at everybody else do work.’
‘Especially on the first day, it’s kind of tough on me. I’m doing everything else, just like on the field stuff, not doing that.’
The No 17 overall pick has a value of $18.9million, with a signing bonus of around $10.4million, per Spotrac.
It is unclear if the holdup on Stewart is due to him wanting more money, the Bengals trying to save money by paying him a little less, or neither.
Only 11 first-round picks have officially signed their rookie contracts, with many expected to be done over the next week. Yet, Stewart is the lone expected holdout from on-field work.
Stewart left the Aggies after his junior season where he was deemed one of the best defensive linemen in the country.
