Shemar Stewart is still putting in work behind the scenes

If you’re needing a silver lining, maybe this can be it.

As fans of the Cincinnati Bengals, we saw a lot of Shemar Stewart standing on the sidelines while the rest of the team went through mandatory minicamp. We also saw his interview in which he very harshly criticized the team that drafted him.

What we’re not seeing, though, is the work that’s still getting done.

It’s clear Stewart is missing valuable time that could be spent on the field, but that doesn’t mean he’s not readying himself for when that moment comes. Hopefully, that comes sooner rather than later, but if that’s not in the cards, then we at least see he’s taking the necessary steps to be up to speed, at least physically, when he puts pen to paper.

This hasn’t been a great offseason for the Bengals. They’ve been in the public light in a very negative way more often than not, and they’re missing their starting edge defenders in a division with Lamar Jackson, Aaron Rodgers, and someone in Cleveland.

Stewart’s deal will surely get done, though, and hopefully, when it does, he’s ready to prove to everyone why the Bengals were right to select him No. 17 overall.