{"id":240814,"date":"2025-07-28T12:06:26","date_gmt":"2025-07-28T16:06:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=240814"},"modified":"2025-07-29T08:28:41","modified_gmt":"2025-07-29T12:28:41","slug":"shemar-stewart-hopes-to-catch-up-in-training-camp-quickly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2025\/07\/28\/shemar-stewart-hopes-to-catch-up-in-training-camp-quickly\/","title":{"rendered":"Shemar Stewart Hopes to Catch Up in Training Camp Quickly"},"content":{"rendered":"

The long and arduous wait for Shemar Stewart ended last Friday as he came to terms with the Cincinnati Bengals<\/a>. The 17th overall pick and the team met in the middle on an improved payout language<\/a> that made him comfortable signing and being with his teammates. The front office moved<\/a> $500,000 of Stewart’s signing bonus and paid it up front, instead of paying it in December. Now, with the drama behind him, Stewart must quickly catch up and learn to adjust to life in the NFL with the full support of the orange and black behind him. The hope is that he’s a quick learner, as the Bengals are counting on him to contribute to a pass rush that badly needs an upgrade in 2025 and beyond.<\/p>\n

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Katie Blackburn, left, and Duke Tobin, right, watch the Cincinnati Bengals practice, Wednesday, June 11, 2025, at Kettering Health Practice Fields in Downtown Cincinnati.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Shemar Stewart Hopes to Catch Up in Training Camp Quickly<\/h2>\n

Risky Business<\/h3>\n

The Bengals’ first-round pick comes with a high risk and high reward, as he immediately impressed defensive coordinator Al Golden. Following the selection, Golden was asked what stands out about Stewart, and he noted<\/a>, “The overall athleticism, his effort, and his play style, his relentlessness. If there’s a word we want to define our defense with, we want guys that are relentless on all snaps. I think Shemar fits that to a T.”<\/p>\n

While Stewart didn’t have a productive career from a sack perspective, he was a master in providing pressure to opposing quarterbacks, which Golden alluded to. The former Aggie will occasionally bookend Trey Hendrickson to garner more juice on the edges, so the interior of the defensive line can be more effective. Stewart has tremendous size and athleticism, and Cincinnati will waste no time in getting him in a rotation with incumbents Joseph Ossai and Myles Murphy.<\/p>\n

First Impressions<\/h3>\n

New defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery wasted no time getting Stewart fully immersed<\/a> in the installation process on his very first day of camp, and said<\/a>, “He’s got a lot of jobs we’ll ask him to do, it’s going to be a process. He hasn’t done any work or any fundamental stuff. But he has a lot of characteristics to work with. I’m excited about that. He’ll be fine.”<\/p>\n

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5 observations from Day 4 of #Bengals<\/a> camp:
1. Great to get an up-close reminder that Shemar Stewart is 6'5, 267 lbs and ran a 4.59 40-yard dash with a 40" vertical jump.
"This guy is special," said former college teammate McKinnley Jackson. "He's like a freaking bullet train.\u201d pic.twitter.com\/bd5XJK1fpl<\/a><\/p>\n

— Dan Hoard (@Dan_Hoard) July 27, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n