First-round picks are given a four-year contract, with a pre-established salary and a signing bonus based on draft position, but workout bonuses can vary. Stewart, a defensive tackle out of Texas A&M, is one of two Bengals’ draft picks still unsigned, but second-rounder Demetrius Knight Jr. has still been participating in practices.
Bengals coach Zac Taylor said he had no update on Stewart’s status Tuesday. The Bengals are in the final week of Phase 2 of the offseason workout program, and Organized Team Activities (OTAs) begin next week. Stewart has been watching practices closely and participating in meetings but doing no on-field workouts with his new team.
“It’s always good to be out there physically on the field,” Taylor said when asked how much it hurts Stewart to not be practicing. “You know, mentally is one thing and he’s doing that. He’s in meetings, he’s studying, he’s been great about all that. And then the physical thing, you just don’t want to fall too far behind. Every week that passes can be different, and you want to set yourself up for success. And we expect a great year from Shemar. And so, part of that will be getting up to speed when he gets on the field.”
Rookies arrived May 9 for their own minicamp, and they were fully integrated with veterans three days later. Offseason workouts are voluntary until mandatory minicamp June 10-12.
Stewart isn’t the only player missing over contract concerns. Defensive end Trey Hendrickson continues to be absent after making an unexpected appearance last week as a spectator so he could address the local media about his status. He expressed during a 23-minute interview his disappointment with a lack of communication from the front office since the draft, among other things.
Taylor said he doesn’t take it personally when players sit out over contract issues. He also did not have any updates on Hendrickson’s situation, but shared that he had spoken with Hendrickson – particularly regarding the defensive end’s comments he didn’t appreciate a text message Taylor had sent reminding him almost a month ahead of time he will be fined if he doesn’t show up for minicamp.
Hendrickson said last week that text insinuated there is not an expectation his extension will get done between now and then. Taylor confirmed Tuesday he made the decision on his own to send the message.
“I put a lot of time into thinking (about) those situations,” Taylor said. “There’s real money at stake. So, I put a lot of time and energy to thinking about how to communicate, when you communicate, and so that’s just how I handled that one and yeah, Trey and I have spoken.”
Taylor didn’t elaborate any further on how those conversations went. When asked if he expects Hendrickson to show up for minicamp, Taylor simply left it at: “We’ll see.”
Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase did not participate in minicamp last year, as they both sought long-term deals, but only Chase was subject to fines because Higgins had not yet signed his franchise tag. Chase showed up for minicamp and attended meetings but just watched practice.
Credit: David Jablonski
Credit: David Jablonski
Taylor didn’t consider it a distraction for Hendrickson to show up to a workout last week just to do an interview. The session had ended when Hendrickson held his press conference right on the practice field.
Quarterback Joe Burrow joked it was an “exciting day” having Hendrickson there for that reason, but said he still brought some energy to the team and seemed to enjoy seeing everyone.
“We’ll see what happens with that,” Burrow said. “You guys all know how I feel about Trey. He’s a great player. I love Trey as a guy. He goes out and plays well every single Sunday. Very productive. He’s a guy that deserves to get paid and get paid what he wants and what the market is. We’ll see what happens with that. But I love Trey and hope he’s with us.”
About the Author