The Cincinnati Bengals are dealing with a rather unusual situation entering training camp. Their 2025 first-round draft pick, edge rusher Shemar Stewart, has yet to sign his rookie contract. It's very rare for a rookie to get this deep into the summer without signing a deal, so on Monday the team's director of player personnel, Duke Tobin, took the time to discuss the situation with the media.
Tobin had a few thoughts on the contract holdout but the strongest point he made was that he didn't "understand" the advice Stewart was getting from his representation that led to this point.
"I don’t blame Shemar," Tobin said. "He’s listening to the advice he’s paying for. I don’t understand the advice."
It didn't take long for the comment to reach the ears of the agent in question, Zac Hiller. He responded with a ruthless one-liner that calls into question Tobin's credibility to discuss these matters.
"Duke Tobin has had no involvement in this negotiation," Hiller told Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. "It seems to be above his pay grade."
Ouch.
It doesn't seem like the relationship between Stewart's camp and Cincinnati is improving. The official start of training camp this week may prove another inflection point in this prolonged contract holdout.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Shemar Stewart's Agent Fires Back at Bengals' Front Office With Ruthless One-Liner.
