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Cincinnati Bengals rookie first-round pick Shemar Stewart was the reason behind a big scuffle at training camp on Wednesday.
Stewart was rushing during 11-on-11 drills when he lost his footing and fell into quarterback Joe Burrow, knocking him to the turf.
In training camp, it’s emphasized across the NFL to not hit the quarterback to avoid any chance of injury. Even if Stewart didn’t mean to do so, the Bengals’ offensive line took exception, and tensions ran high between the teammates.
The scuffle was caught on video, though it didn’t seem to escalate to something too physical.
After practice, multiple offensive linemen expressed their displeasure with Stewart’s actions.
BENGALS END TENSE STANDOFF WITH FIRST-ROUND PICK SHEMAR STEWART WITH SIGNING OF HIS ROOKIE DEAL
“Just be smarter…great player, [but] that’s all of our hopes and dreams right there,” center Ted Karras told reporters. “We’ve got to be better, too. That’s on us.”
Right guard Lucas Patrick also pointed some of the blame at himself.
“Gotta protect No. 9. Starts with me up front,” Patrick said, per the Cincinnati Enquirer. “I gotta play better and protect better, but you can’t let No. 9 get hit.”
Stewart was a spotlight early in Bengals training camp, as he still hadn’t signed his rookie deal due to contract language involving guarantees. He previously left mandatory minicamp due to the situation.
After the standoff ended, the 17th overall pick finally agreed to his deal.
The Bengals were reportedly trying to restructure the way their first-round rookie contracts are done, which would allow the team to void future guarantees.
“I’m 100% right,” he said of his stance about his rookie deal in June. “I’m not asking for nothing y’all (the Bengals) have never done before. But in y’all case, y’all just want to win arguments (more) than winning more games.”
Stewart had been attending meetings during minicamp but was not getting on the field. He did not report to training camp earlier this week, which upset Bengals executive Duke Tobin.
“I think Shemar needs to be here,” Tobin told reporters. “I’m not going to blame Shemar. He is listening to the advice he is paying for. I don’t understand or believe or agree with the advice, but I’m not the one paying for it. If I felt we were treating him unfairly as it relates to all the other draft picks in this year’s draft, then maybe it would be a different story. But we are not. I don’t really understand where things are there.”
Stewart recorded his first NFL tackle in the Bengals’ first preseason game last week against the Philadelphia Eagles.
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