Bengals' contract language demand for Shemar Stewart baffles ESPN pundit

The Cincinnati Bengals are without Shemar Stewart as they have yet to sign their first-round pick from this year. Plus, with Trey Hendrickson holding out over his contract, the Bengals’ pass rush will not have its full impact if this lingers into the regular season.

Stewart is said to have concerns about the language in his contract, stemming from Cincinnati’s reported attempt to set a new precedent with rookie deals, one that could allow the team to void future guarantees.

On Friday, Pardon the Interruption's Tony Kornheiser stated his confusion regarding this standoff between Stewart and Cincinnati regarding a behavior clause that the Bengals want to put in the contract.

"It is being said that he objects to a particular clause in the contract that has to do with behavior, that if you behave in a certain way, they don't owe you this money anymore," Kornheiser said. "I don't know what that means. Nobody has said what this behavior is.

"Nobody has come out publicly about that. Is this just aimed at him? Has he shown a type of behavior over some period of time that they're worried about? Or, as [Michael] Wilbon would say, is this just hocus pocus junk? Those are things that make me interested in the story."

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Although the Bengals still need to get a deal done with Stewart, they did lock in his fellow draft class member. The team announced Saturday that second-round linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. has officially signed his rookie contract.

With Bengals rookies reporting to training camp on Saturday, Stewart is a no-show, and with the preseason starting soon, the Texas A&M product will be at a disadvantage if this standoff leaks into the regular season, especially with no Hendrickson to be there to play as a mentor.

Contract talks with Hendrickson are still unresolved, putting more pressure on the Bengals to find common ground with Stewart. Hendrickson made it clear he wants either a new deal or a trade, and doesn’t plan to suit up for the Bengals under his current contract.

As a result, Cincinnati could be without two key pass rushers in Week 1 against the AFC North rival, the Cleveland Browns.