Shemar Stewart sparks fury of Bengals offensive line after hitting Joe Burrow at practice

NFL training camps always produce a little bit of tension. But nothing will get a team fired up like someone hitting the quarterback. Cincinnati Bengals rookie defensive lineman Shemar Stewart found that out the hard way on Wednesday.

Stewart got tangled up with quarterback Joe Burrow on one pass-rush attempt. It led to the offensive line stepping up to him in a major way.

Center Ted Karras spoke after the practice about the incident and had two minds. First, he loves the ability Shemar Stewart showed but that type of hit can’t happen. Second, the offensive line has to do its part to prevent such hits.

“Hell yeah. Just be smarter,” Karras told reporters in the locker room. “I mean it was a great rush. I’ll have to see it. I was on the other side of the line of scrimmage. Great player. But come on, man. That’s all our hopes and dreams right there. We’ve got to be better, too. That’s on us.”

Keeping the former No. 1 overall pick and two-time Pro Bowler healthy has to be foremost among the camp considerations for the Bengals and for Shemar Stewart. No ifs, ands or buts about it.

Burrow threw for a career-best 4,918 yards and 43 touchdowns last season. But he’s dealt with injuries previously in his career, losing time in both 2020 and 2023 with various knocks.

Bottom line: Shemar Stewart can’t be hitting the quarterback. That’s a lesson he’ll learn quickly in the professional ranks.

“It is what it is,” Karras said. “We’ve got to be better up front.”

Shemar Stewart now inked with Bengals

This time last month, Shemar Stewart was in the middle of a contentious holdout with the Bengals over the terms of his potential rookie deal. Luckily for both parties, a resolution was found.

After a lengthy holdout, Stewart and the Cincinnati Bengals came to terms on a rookie contract. He is set to sign a four-year, fully guaranteed $18.97 million contract along with a $10.4 million signing bonus, his agents at LAA told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Stewart held out of the Bengals’ offseason program after the franchise selected him in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. He reportedly left mandatory minicamp as a result of the situation, which centered around clauses for which Cincinnati was asking in the rookie contract.

NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported the Bengals got the language they wanted in the deal while Shemar Stewart received more money from his signing bonus on an earlier date. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport added Cincinnati moved $500,000 of his bonus and paid it up front, rather than in December.