One of the biggest stories in the NFL currently is the continued contract negotiations between the Cincinnati Bengals and their 1st round pick Shemar Stewart. Despite rookie contracts being 99% done by the time the draft concludes, it’s usually the last 1% that can hold up the deal for days. In Stewart’s case, it is close to approaching 2 months since the draft and the two sides seem further apart than before. We have gotten a leak of what the holdup is for both sides, and have a breakdown below of each individual sticking point.
- Twizzlers: The Bengals are a strict Red Vines Only football team, however Shemar and his camp would like to bring in outside Twizzlers as they are his favorite.
- Nap Time: Stewart usually takes his nap around 4:45 PM. The Bengals scheduled team nap time is anywhere between 4:53 and 5:08 PM. Shemar’s camp has made it clear they are willing to push back nap time, but it may be a while for his body to be reconditioned to the time change.
- Plane Seating: Shemar has asked the team to only have the aisle seat for him on the team flights because of his size. The Bengals pointed out that there were also 30ish other players who are the same size or bigger than Shemar. Stewart’s camp has seemingly backed down from this request.
- Cool Nickname: The first-round pick had asked the team to start calling him by a nickname, but it has to be one they make up since you can’t make up your own nickname. Despite great entries like Sher Bear, Sherbert, and the Menace of Monsignor, the player has not accepted any nickname offered.
- $20: Just $20. The Bengals are holding strong against this point the most.
The two sides are working day and night to get this deal tightened up so the rookie can start participating in camp. This is the last and only contract negotiation that the Bengals are focused on. In an unrelated story, Trey Hendrickson was last seen walking aimlessly near Newport. If found, please return to the Bengals practice facility.
The 9 Hole 