No wonder the rookie feels he can’t take the deal.
Shemar Stewart is unhappy with the Cincinnati Bengals’ front office.
And he might very well be justified in feeling that way.
Previously, it was reported that Stewart didn’t like that his contract included a new clause that would void all future guarantees if he defaults in a season.
That is because, previous Bengals rookies, like Amarius Mims, had language that only voided one season at a time.
Of course, the counter argument was, most teams do it the “new” way.
Okay, fine.
But then there’s another issue that NFL insider Jeremy Fowler recently reported on: Stewart would also be getting a worse bonus pay structure than the player selected in his slot last year.
“It’s clear that Shemar, based on precedent, feels like he can’t take the Bengals’ deal right now,” Fowler began. He then explained:
From my understanding of the language and the contract, they’re essentially, in some areas, asking him to take a pay decrease from where last year’s number 17 pick, Dallas Turner in Minnesota, got with certain bonuses. Usually those numbers go up every year, as far as the percentage guarantee. His, to my understanding, was going down. So that’s problematic, and it’s something he isn’t willing to accept.
Yikes.
Let’s just hope the Bengals’ front office realizes the urgency of getting Stewart in camp, because the young man certainly has a lot of potential.
