Ben BabyJun 12, 2025, 09:48 AM ET
- Ben Baby covers the Cincinnati Bengals for ESPN. He joined the company in July 2019. Prior to ESPN, he worked for various newspapers in Texas, most recently at The Dallas Morning News where he covered college sports. He provides daily coverage of the Bengals for ESPN.com, while making appearances on SportsCenter, ESPN's NFL shows and ESPN Radio programs. A native of Grapevine, Texas, he graduated from the University of North Texas with a bachelor's degree in journalism. He is an adjunct journalism professor at Southern Methodist University and a member of the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA).
CINCINNATI -- Bengals rookie defensive end Shemar Stewart left Cincinnati's mandatory minicamp amid a contract dispute.
Bengals coach Zac Taylor confirmed Stewart's departure Thursday morning after the team completed its three-day minicamp.
Stewart, the 17th overall pick in this year's draft, has yet to sign his rookie contract or participate in offseason workouts. According to a source, the dispute centers on contract language that could potentially void future guaranteed money.
Taylor said he would prefer that all of the Bengals rookies, including Stewart, participate in as many offseason activities as possible but also acknowledged "there's things that happen over the course of an NFL career, and this is one of them right now."
Throughout workouts, Stewart has been a bystander during drills, often standing near the defensive line. The former Texas A&M star was not present Thursday when the Bengals worked out inside Paycor Stadium.
Taylor said Stewart has been attending the Bengals' meetings and is a "good learner," adding that the two have had "positive conversations."
Earlier in the week, Stewart said the organization is more concerned with winning arguments instead of games, adding he was "100 percent right" in seeking contract language standard to previous Bengals draft picks.
