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Shemar Stewart
DE · CIN

Shemar Stewart

Position DE
Team CIN
Bye Week —
PPR Rank —

Shemar Stewart

NFL player. Position: DE. Team: Cincinnati Bengals.

Quick Facts

  • Position: Defensive End
  • Team: Cincinnati Bengals (CIN)
  • Drafted: 2025, Round 2 (49th overall)

2026 Outlook

Shemar Stewart entered his second NFL season poised for a significant jump after an underwhelming rookie year. Defensive coordinator Al Golden and defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery both expressed confidence that Year 2 would see Stewart reach his potential, noting he "wasn't ready to be out there" during his debut. The plan was to rotate him with Boye Mafe, Myles Murphy, and Cashius Howell while occasionally kicking inside. However, Stewart suffered a serious knee hyperextension with ligament tears during Day 1 of training camp, with medical evaluation suggesting a potential season-ending injury. Former NFL doctor evaluated the injury during training camp and expressed serious concern over structural damage. This development significantly impacts his 2026 outlook unless recovery accelerates (per Injuries Piling Up — Former Texas A&M Stars in the NFL and Former NFL Doctor Fears Serious Injury for Shemar Stewart - Sports Illustrated).

Recovery update (Aug 1): The hyperextension was viewed as avoiding worse—Stewart escaped without ligament damage according to follow-up medical evaluation. His absence puts pressure on year-two development timeline, placing an uphill climb ahead as the Bengals needed to see meaningful production from their 2025 first-round pick to justify the draft capital (per NFL training camp injuries Panic Meter: Where do these injuries rank?).

Injury Status

Suffered knee hyperextension during Bengals training camp Day 1 (July 29, left leg). Initial reports from former NFL doctor raised season-ending injury concerns, but follow-up evaluation by Bengals medical staff and reporting from Adam Schefter/Ian Rapoport (July 30) is more optimistic: no ligament damage believed to have occurred. Stewart will receive treatment, expected to miss several weeks but not season-ending. Recovery timeline suggests return for meaningful 2026 contribution, though full training camp availability limited (per Bengals DE Shemar Stewart reportedly suffered only hyperextended knee from scary...).

Recent News

Open Questions

  • Will Shemar Stewart avoid season-ending designation and return in time to contribute to the Bengals' defensive line rotation in 2026?

Sources