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The Bengals are coming off their bye at near-full strength, with all five inactives healthy scratches. Stewart, who was the No. 17 overall pick in last year’s draft, has appeared in just three games this season, totaling three tackles and one sack.

The Bengals would obviously prefer Stewart to be out there vs. the Bucs, but it’s an otherwise quiet list for the opener.

Stewart was able to limp off the field but eventually rode the cart to the locker room, causing some concern that he suffered a major injury. He will undergo treatment for the issue but, according to Rapoport, avoided any ligament damage. Bengals coach Zac Taylor said he would miss “several weeks.” That’s not ideal for a second-year player, but it doesn’t sound like he is at risk of missing any time during the regular season.

Stewart initially limped off the field and was checked out by trainers before riding the cart into the locker room. The fact that he was able to make his way off the field hopefully means this isn’t a major injury, but it’s too early to be sure. The No. 17 overall pick last year struggled with ankle injuries early in his rookie season and later dealt with a knee issue. He appeared in just eight games and recorded one sack. The Bengals were hoping for a year two breakout from Stewart, but he might be in for another slow start if the latest injury costs him much time in camp.

Stewart was designated for a return from injured reserve last week and will now take the field against the Dolphins this weekend. The rookie pass-rusher has totaled just six tackles in the five games he’s appeared in this season and is still in search of his first career sack. In addition to Stewart, Taylor also said DT B.J. Hill (ankle) will be available to play in Week 16.

Stewart will return to practice this week. The Bengals now have 21 days to activate him from injured reserve. The first-round rookie hasn’t played much this year because of ankle and knee injuries. He has six combined tackles and eight pressures in five appearances so far.

Stewart missed multiple games with an ankle injury and is now set to miss at least the next four games due to a knee injury. The 22-year-old defensive end will miss most of his rookie season due to injury and his play wasn’t anything to write home about when he was actually on the field. His 36.9 overall PFF grade was dead last among 114 defensive ends.

Following a decleating fourth-and-1 piledriver by Darnell Wright and being sealed off several times by wideout Olamide Zaccheaus, we wouldn’t have been surprised if Stewart saw his playing time reduced naturally. Playing through an injury could help explain how poor he looked in Week 9. Stewart has missed most of his rookie season with injury and has a startling 36.9 PFF defensive grade in 177 defensive snaps.

Stewart hasn’t played since Week 2, but a full practice designation on Monday is a good indication he’ll be suiting up on Thursday night against the Steelers. The rookie first-rounder has totaled just two tackles in the two games he’s appeared in this season, and could see a fairly significant role if Trey Hendrickson (back) is unable to go.

Stewart had gotten in limited practices on Wednesday and Thursday, so it’s possible he dealt with a setback. It’s also possible he just wasn’t ready. The rookie hasn’t played since Week 2 and is now at “a standard IR stint” level of missed games assuming the doubtful listing holds.

It was a limited session for the rookie pass-rusher. Stewart suffered his ankle injury in Week 2 and has been out ever since. Today was his first practice since going down. It was only a limited session and he will likely need to get up to a full practice before retaking the field, but this is at least a step in the right direction.

He’s now missed three games in a row and hasn’t practiced since getting hurt in Week 2. Stewart had two tackles in 66 defensive snaps in his two active weeks earlier this year.

The ankle issue will not cost Stewart his second consecutive game after the veteran defensive end missed Week 3’s loss to the Vikings. His absence was felt considering the Bengals allowed Jordan Mason to eclipse 100 yards on the ground on just 16 carries, boosting the matchup for J.K. Dobbins in Week 4.

He was ruled out after not practicing a single time all week. The guidance from Jordan Schultz after Week 2’s win was that Stewart will likely be week-to-week. He’ll need to get on the field at some point ahead of Week 4 before we even generate the expectation that he’ll play.

Stewart went down in the Bengals’ Week 2 win over the Jags and was spotted on crutches after the game. NFL Insider Jordan Schultz reported earlier this week that Stewart is considered week-to-week. A DNP on Wednesday all but guarantees he will miss the Bengals’ Week 3 date with the Vikings.

Stewart was seen on crutches after Sunday’s win over the Jaguars, but the rookie pass rusher seems to have avoided any kind of serious injury. Stewart had a highly-documented holdout earlier this offseason and eventually signed and reported to camp in late July. He has recorded one tackle in two games played this season.

The deal is a fully guaranteed $18.97 million contract that includes a $10.4 million signing bonus. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports, “after a lengthy standoff over contract language, Cincinnati dropped its push for a new precedent.” The Bengals can now focus on paying star, veteran EDGE Trey Hendrickson, who has not yet reported to training camp.

Though some have parsed Elko’s word choice — what is an intention, really? — he followed up the statement by saying Stewart is “getting ready for his season this year with the Bengals,” adding that they “wish him the best.” Things can change, but for now, a return to college football seems unlikely for the Bengals’ disgruntled first-round pick. It was a good attempt to drum up leverage for the young EDGE.

It’s the latest in a truly bizarre situation for Stewart, the 17th selection in the 2025 draft, who has held out of offseason activities amid a lingering contract dispute. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero said in June that Cincinnati’s rookie deal offer to Stewart “did not provide the same level of protection as [what] other teams give their rookies.” Stewart has reportedly attended offseason workouts with his former Texas A&M mates and believes there’s a path for him to return to the college level. The Bengals would receive no compensation for Stewart not signing with their team if they can’t get a deal done this year. Acme Packing Company’s Justis Mosqueda said, Stewart — if he does not sign his rookie deal with the Bengals — would be “free to enter the 2026 draft and would be eligible to be picked by any team other than Cincinnati.” The Stewart saga will continue into training camp, and likely beyond.

Speaking on the Rich Eisen Show, Pelissero explains that the Bengals’ participation agreement “did not provide the same level of protection as [what] other teams give their rookies.” The protection language ensures “that you are taken care of financially,” if “something were to happen, injury or otherwise.” Knight, the Bengals’ second-round pick, and the front office agreed to a contract after Knight skipped the first offseason practice, which caused less of an issue than Stewart’s ongoing saga has. Aside from the participation agreement language, Stewart also takes issue with the Bengals’ recent change in contract language. The team opted to bring their rookie contract language in line with the rest of the league, after constructing contracts uniquely in prior seasons.