CINCINNATI — The Bengals signed rookie linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. to a four-year contract on Saturday. Knight was selected by the Bengals in the second round (49th overall) in the 2025 NFL Draft. The Bengals gave Knight 75% of his signing bonus up front. He'll receive the rest of the bonus later this season.

As the Cincinnati Bengals prepare to start training camp in a few days, rookie edge rusher Shemar Stewart remains unsigned amid a tense contract standoff.

Defensive end Shemar Stewart remains unsigned as of Saturday, the day that the Cincinnati Bengals' rookies must report for training camp, and therefore has not shown up with the rest of his first-year teammates.

Early on Tuesday, July 15, rumors sparked that the Cincinnati Bengals No. 17 overall pick Shemar Stewart was working out with his former Texas A&M team in the midst of a contract disagreement between him and the Bengals.

Shemar Stewart could be considering throwing the ultimate curveball at Bengals, and it should garner the NFL's attention originally appeared on A to Z Sports.

The Shemar Stewart situation is worth keeping an eye on for the other 31 NFL teams. The Cincinnati Bengals and Stewart, their first-round pick, are embroiled in a strange and unusual growing contract battle that has caused the pass-rusher from Texas A&M to publicly call out the team’s front office and it caused him to leave the team’s minicamp last month.

The Cincinnati Bengals and 2025 first-round draft pick Shemar Stewart are still firmly apart in contract talks according to Adam Schefter.