Shemar Stewart: Answering FAQs about Cincinnati Bengals unsigned 1st-round pick

With the Denver Broncos signing defensive back Jahdae Barron to a four-year deal on July 16, it left Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Shemar Stewart as the lone unsigned first-round pick from the 2025 NFL Draft.Time is of the essence for the Bengals and Stewart to come to an agreement on his rookie deal.

Rookies are scheduled to report on July 19, and training camp begins on July 23.More: Shemar Stewart not working out with Texas A&M team, despite rumorsStewart attended voluntary workouts and was in team meetings earlier this offseason but didn't participate in any on-field activities and left mandatory minicamp early last month.

Stewart can't report to training camp without a signed contract.

Many have speculated Stewart's options should he and the Bengals fail to come up with a contract that would get him on the field this season.

Here's a look at some of those alternatives, which range from Stewart playing in another league to holding out for the entire 2025 season.

Can Shemar Stewart re-enter the NFL draft next year? Stewart could make the drastic move and shake up the NFL draft for years to come by holding out in 2025 and re-enter next April's NFL draft, which will be held in Pittsburgh.While the Bengals would like to see Stewart on the field in training camp with the regular season just around the corner, a long-term goal would be to sign the rookie by the team's early November bye week.

If Stewart does not sign by the Tuesday after Week 10 (Nov.

11), he is ineligible to play in 2025.

He could enter the 2026 NFL Draft, and the Bengals would be the only team that couldn't pick him, according to Pro Football Talk.

Stewart would then become an undrafted free agent if he was not picked in next year's draft.

Could Shemar Stewart return to Texas A&M? In a report heard around the NFL world, Bud Elliott of 247Sports claimed that Stewart had been working out at Texas A&M over the summer.

The Enquirer's Kelsey Conway then reported that Stewart is using Texas A&M's facilities to prepare for the upcoming NFL season, not to workout with the current Aggies team.Could Stewart go back to Texas A&M?The back-to-college route for an NFL prospect was first brought to light when Colorado quarterback Shadeur Sanders slipped to Day 3 of the draft in April.

Once a player declares for the draft, they forego their remaining years of college eligibility.

If a player declares for the draft, they have three days to reverse that decision.

NCAA Director of Enforcement Chris Howard explained this to NFL prospects ahead of the 2024 draft."Student-athletes who enter the NFL Draft early are required to sign and have notarized a petition for special eligibility with the NFL, which renounces all remaining collegiate eligibility unless revoked within 72 hours of the draft declaration date." Stewart's path to returning to the SEC would be against NCAA rules, and he and his team would have to go the legal route to win that battle.

Can the Bengals trade Shemar Stewart? Yes.

According to Article 6, Section 4 of the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement, a drafted rookie who remains unsigned can be traded at least 30 days before the start of the regular season.

The deadline for the Bengals to trade Stewart would be Aug.

5.

After that, according to the CBA, the Bengals can't trade Stewart no matter what his contract status is.Can Shemar Stewart play in another league? Stewart can sign with another professional football league like the UFL or CFL.

However, this seems like an unlikely move considering the Bengals would maintain his draft rights for three seasons if he plays for another professional team within a year after he was drafted, according to Article 6, Section 5 of the CBA.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Bengals' Shemar Stewart: FAQs on unsigned 1st-round pick.

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