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After an abysmal first season, USA Today named Cincinnati Bengals edge rusher Shemar Stewart as a player who needs to improve in year two.

The 2025 offseason was an awkward one for the Cincinnati Bengals and first-round pick Shemar Stewart. A contract dispute kept Stewart away from practice, which ended up being a bad omen for what was a very difficult rookie season for Stewart.

There are some massive expectations on the Bengals in 2026 and beyond. They’ll need Stewart to improve, though, and USA Today‘s Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz listed him among the players who most need to improve in their second NFL season.

“Developing a finishing touch was an area of concern for Stewart at Texas A&M, where he logged just 4 1/2 sacks in three years despite his impressive blend of size (6-5, 267 pounds) and speed,” Middlehurst-Schwartz wrote. “In the NFL, however, the No. 17 overall pick was weighed down by his inauspicious start. Stewart missed the entire offseason program and the first week of camp before resolving his contract standoff with Cincinnati. Then, after Stewart was hobbled early by an ankle injury, a midseason tear to his posterior cruciate ligament sidelined him for the bulk of the stretch run.”

In the end, Stewart only played in eight games, making five starts, as a rookie. He had just 1.0 sacks and 11 tackles, with 2 tackles for a loss. Even being limited by his knee injury, it’s not what the Bengals expected out of a first-round pick.

“More is clearly needed after his rookie output amounted to just 11 tackles and one sack,” Middlehurst-Schwartz wrote. “But a Bengals defense that finally saw Trey Hendrickson walk hardly stood pat at edge rusher, with Boye Mafe and second-round pick Cashius Howell joining a group that includes 2023 first-round pick Myles Murphy. That crowded group could leave Stewart with only so many opportunities until he proves worthy of a featured role.”

The Cincinnati Bengals Reworked Their Defensive Line

The Cincinnati Bengals were busy this offseason, trying to put together a team that could make the playoffs and be competitive in the AFC North. That led to a ton of focus being put on the defensive line.

Along the defensive line, the Bengals suffered a major loss, with Trey Hendrickson walking in free agency. However, they had a plan to go and replace him. That started with the free agent signings of edge rusher Boye Mafe and defensive tackle Jonathan Allen.

Shortly before the draft, the Bengals made their biggest splash. After kicking the tires on a trade for Maxx Crosby, they decided the price was too high and pivoted to Dexter Lawrence. It cost Cincinnati the No. 10 overall pick, but they were able to land the star defensive tackle to anchor the defensive line.

Even with that, the Bengals would still jump on the defensive line in the NFL Draft. Using their first pick, which came in the second round, they took edge rusher Cashius Howell. At one time, Howell and Stewart had been teammates at Texas A&M.

It would be great for the Bengals if Stewart played more like the first-round pick they took in 2025. However, the team is clearly full of options now.

Bengals Defensive Line Coach Shared Shemar Stewart Revelation

Earlier in the offseason, Bengals defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery opened up about why Shemar Stewart struggled so much as a rookie. It’s the same reason why he believes Stewart can improve in his second year.

“Shemar missed six months of football,” Montgomery said. “He was injured. He missed most of the season. I would say there were times he wasn’t ready to be out there as a guy that just missed so much football.”

Those issues that kept Stewart out a season ago, be it a contract dispute or a knee injury, should be in the past. Because of that, he gets to be full tilt. Even with a more crowded room, that’s an opportunity Stewart didn’t have in 2025.

“I think with some development and a full offseason…he’s healthy, he’s doing a great job in his offseason training right now, I look for him to have a big year, and I’m excited about his future,” Montgomery said.