The Cincinnati Bengals face defensive chaos in July 2025 as rookies Shemar Stewart & Demetrius Knight Jr. remain unsigned. Can they fix this before camp?
StatPro NFL Beat Reporter
Just as the Cincinnati Bengals were looking to turn the page and build on their 2025 draft class, the team finds itself in a precarious position. The top two draft picks, defensive end Shemar Stewart and linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr., remain unsigned due to contract disputes. With training camp fast approaching, the reinforcements drafted to fix a shaky defense are stuck on the sidelines, creating a significant headache for the organization.
You'd love to have none, but that's life in the NFL.
The core of the issue lies with the team's top two draft selections. First-round pick Shemar Stewart, selected 17th overall to be a cornerstone pass rusher, is in a stalemate with the front office over specific contract language. This situation is amplified by the ongoing holdout of veteran star Trey Hendrickson, leaving the defensive end position alarmingly thin. Meanwhile, second-round linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. is also unsigned, reportedly pushing for a fully guaranteed contract—a negotiating tactic gaining popularity among second-rounders across the league. These two standoffs have effectively stalled the integration of the team's most crucial young defensive talent.
This offseason was supposed to be about shoring up a defense that, despite recording 21 takeaways last season, allowed a concerning 22.12 points per game. The selection of Stewart out of Texas A&M was a direct response to those struggles. The Bengals finished with a respectable 10-7 record, but it was clear that the defense needed an injection of talent to contend for a championship. Now, the very players drafted to provide that spark are absent, leaving a major question mark over the team's defensive preparation and depth.
The ripples of the contract disputes are being felt in the locker room. Quarterback Joe Burrow, ever the pragmatist, acknowledged the reality of the situation. When asked about the distractions, he stated, 'You'd love to have none, but that's life in the NFL.' While Burrow and the offense, which averaged over 27 points per game last year, can focus on their own preparations, the uncertainty on the other side of the ball is an undeniable undercurrent as the team prepares to come together.
With training camp just around the corner, the clock is ticking loudly for the Bengals' front office. Resolving these contract disputes is paramount. The team's strategy to overhaul the defense hinges on getting Stewart and Knight integrated, and every day they miss is a missed opportunity. The hope for a dominant 2025 season rests on turning these unsigned draft picks into signed, sealed, and delivered contributors.
