Shemar Stewart must leave Cincinnati ASAP after Bengals owner unleashes wild tirade

It's time for the first-round pick to prepare for the 2026 NFL Draft.

First-round pick Shemar Stewart has been the talk of the NFL, and recently, the talk of college football. Following talks of Stewart working out at Texas A&M, there were rumors escalating about potential bizarre return back to college.

During SEC Media Days, Mike Elko quickly disputed that claim, telling reporters there was never any truth to the buzz.

The language in the Collective Bargaining Agreement has been a dispute since Stewart was drafted. No other player has ever gone through this much trouble, and it's more obvious than ever that Stewart's home should be anywhere besides Cincinnati following foolish comments from Bengals owner Mike Brown.

Brown says he doesn't want to pay Stewart if he's 'sitting in jail'

#Bengals owner Mike Brown explaining the Shemar Stewart contract language situation:

“If we get a player who does something unacceptable, guess what? I don’t want to pay him. I really don’t. If he’s sitting in jail, I don’t think I have to pay him.” pic.twitter.com/3Ta39gFPtT https://t.co/swpP95IBM9

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) July 21, 2025

Brown even acknowledges that while Stewart landing himself in jail is highly unlikely, he still doesn't want to go through with Stewart being protected, even if he were to get in legal trouble. This confirms what we all thought about the Stewart situation in the first place. This was never about any contract disputes but strictly about power.

The funniest part about this issue is that there's no accountability from the organization. Instead, the front office, specifically Bengals executive Duke Tobin, is taking a step further to say that Stewart has been treated fairly this whole time.

#Bengals executive Duke Tobin on Shemar Stewart, who is still unsigned:

"He needs to be here. I would encourage him to be here. ... He’s listening to the advice he’s paying for (from his agents). I don’t understand the advice … We’re treating him fairly.” pic.twitter.com/LAbmQiSS65

 

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) July 21, 2025

It may sound crazy, but Stewart needs to start preparing for the 2026 NFL Draft. With Brown's attitude compared to Tobin acting nonchalant, this is the recipe for Stewart to leave Cincinnati entirely. If this happens, hopefully the next team will treat him differently, and of course, fairly.

Even though Stewart won't be available for the Aggies, fans still want him to be in the best position possible. After all, he's a former Aggie who got drafted in the first round. He deserves to be signed by a team that will take care of him, and it's a shame that his athleticism likely won't be on display again until 2026.