We explore the potential of the Chicago Bears trading for Shemar Stewart as the Bengals face contract disputes with the young DE.
Shemar Stewart, the Cincinnati Bengals’ No. 17 overall pick in this year’s draft, remains unsigned amid a contract dispute.
He’s attended meetings and has been studying the playbook, but he skipped mandatory minicamp because he hasn’t yet signed the participation waiver.
Stewart has several potential paths forward. He can sign his rookie contract and play the rest of the season, he can request a trade before the August 5 trade deadline for unsigned rookies, he can re-enter the 2026 draft if he sits out the entire upcoming season, or he could even play elsewhere, in either the UFL or CFL, although Cincinnati would likely retain his NFL rights.
Mitch Milani of Bleacher Report believes — erroneously or not — that the Bengals would part with their disgruntled rookie for 2026 second and third-round picks. He also named the Chicago Bears as top potential trade partners for Stewart.
First, a Closer Look at Stewart’s Contract Impasse With the Cincinnati Bengals
GettyShemar Stewart is the subject of trade rumors, with the Chicago Bears named a top target.
While neither No. 2 overall pick Travis Hunter of the Jacksonville Jaguars nor the No. 20 overall pick Jahdae Barron (Denver Broncos) have signed their respective rookie deals yet, either, Jayna Bardahl and Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic believe Stewart’s situation in Cincinnati is a “rare” one.
“The biggest difference between Stewart and the rest of the first-round picks was his refusal to sign the practice waiver,” Dehner noted.
“Each of the remaining unsigned picks entering this week had practiced despite not having a completed contract. The waiver protected them against any injury. Stewart did not and instead chose to sit out. … The hostility from Stewart and the Bengals is a unique circumstance. The estimated value for Stewart, selected at No. 17, is $18.94 million, per Spotrac’s rookie wage scale estimations.”
Stewart is fresh from a successful collegiate career at Texas A&M, where he played three seasons and compiled 19.5 tackles for loss, 11 sacks and 3 forced fumbles across 36 games. Known for his explosive first step, the 6-foot-5, 270-pound pass rusher was one of the most coveted edges in this year’s draft.
Why a Chicago Bears Trade for Shemar Stewart Is Highly Unlikely
Under the current CBA, Cincinnati can’t trade Stewart after August 5. And, per Over the Cap, Stewart must actually sign a rookie contract before any trade can occur. That means speculation linking the rookie DE to the Bears — or any team, for that matter — is premature and a tad misaligned.
Also, even if the Bears did trade for Stewart, it wouldn’t let them bypass his current contract impasse — any team that trades for him would still need to satisfy both his guaranteed money demands and any contractual clauses.
As it stands, the rookie has his heels firmly dug in.
“I’m 100 percent right,” Stewart said about his refusal to ink his rookie deal, per The Athletic. “I’m not asking for nothing y’all have never done before. But in y’all case, y’all just want to win an argument instead of winning more games.”
It’s not that adding a first-round pass rusher on a rookie deal to the rotation alongside Montez Sweat and Dayo Odeyingbo wouldn’t be attentive to Chicago — it’s just a bit of a pipe dream scenario that the trade will happen at all.
Nearly all credible rollout scenarios suggest this ends with a deal in Cincinnati—Stewart will sign, take the field and the trade talk will likely fade once camp ends.
Plus, even if the Bengals did trade him, it could take more than a future second- and third- rounder to convince them. Obviously, stranger things have happened and if the two sides agree to a trade, the Bears should be interested. But alas, this is another one of those fantasy land scenarios from Bleacher Report.
