Getty

Bengals rookie edge rusher Cashius Howell shared an update on his contract negotiations and plans for rookie minicamp

After the painful negotiations that kept 2025 first-round pick Shemar Stewart off the practice field, the Cincinnati Bengals don’t want similar issues this offseason. Despite that, edge rusher Cashius Howell, who the Bengals took in the second round, with their first pick in the NFL Draft, still doesn’t have a contract.

Despite that, Howell is in attendance at rookie minicamp. There, he’s hoping to get that deal worked out relatively quickly.

“I love football,” Cashius Howell said. “At the end of the day, regardless of negotiations still being intact, I love football. So I wanted to do everything I could in my power to put myself in the best position to go out there and give everything I can, with the football, with the talking, communication. Just every aspect. Regardless of the contract not being negotiated fully, doesn’t really matter to me.”

It’s an extremely stark difference from the negotiations with Stewart a season ago for the Bengals. That’s great, but they’ll still need to work out that deal with Howell as quickly as possible to keep him just as excited to be playing and practicing with Cincinnati.

The Cincinnati Bengals Negotiating with Shemar Stewart Became a Major Issue

When the Cincinnati Bengals drafted Shemar Stewart, they were hoping to take a raw talent and turn him into an NFL star at a position of need. That didn’t really happen, at least not in his rookie season, in no small part because he held out for much of the offseason amid a contract dispute.

Stewart would report to rookie minicamp, but would not participate in drills. He also would not sign his Rookie Participation Agreement at that time. That also led to him publicly criticizing the team, setting a bad tone for his tenure with the Bengals.

By the time the actual season came, and he did sign his contract, Stewart would end up struggling. Then, in November, he had to be placed on injured reserve with a knee injury.

Defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery has attributed Stewart’s struggles to a lack of participation in the offseason program and the time he missed practicing. With a full offseason, the hope is he’ll take a leap in his second season.

“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. 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.”

Regardless of whether Stewart improves or not, it’s not a situation the Bengals want to see repeated. So, it’s good to see Cashius Howell participating in rookie minicamp.

Cashius Howell was compared to Star Edge Rusher Maxx Crosby

At one point this offseason, the Cincinnati Bengals explored trading for Maxx Crosby. That never did come to fruition, though. So, instead, they drafted Cashius Howell, who has been getting compared to Crosby for his work ethic and motor.

“The Bengals secured defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II in exchange for the No. 10 pick,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler wrote. “But their second-round pick, edge rusher Cashius Howell, possesses one of Maxx Crosby’s best attributes: his motor. Crosby is famous for going full bore while playing every snap. Howell is similar in that regard. ‘He doesn’t have the elite bend that some of the other rushers have, but he is absolutely relentless and will play a long time in the NFL as a result,’ an AFC scout said.”

Crosby is obviously a lofty comparison for anyone to live up to, but if Howell does have that same work ethic and motor, it’s possible he gets there over time. For now, though, he just needs to focus on being the best version of himself.