Stewart has several options and he could quickly turn into the Bengals' (and NFL's) worst nightmare if he decides to go with a nuclear option of re-entering the draft next year, a process that is outlined in article 6 of the CBA .

The nuclear option would be for Stewart to sit out the entire season and re-enter the draft. While the NIL era will reduce the urgency of many incoming NFL players to get paid, it’s a lot of money to give up. Among other things, Stewart is missing out on a slotted signing bonus in excess of $10 million.

The implementation of a rookie wage scale in 2011 has largely ended contract holdouts of draft picks, with a couple of exceptions.

Bengals Edge Rushers Shemar Steward & Trey Hendrickson Still Not Signed

According to the Collective Bargaining Agreement, Cincinnati Bengals rookie first-round pick Shemar Stewart has the option to enter the 2026 NFL Draft if he doesn't sign a deal with the team.

Shedeur Sanders practiced Tuesday and got increased reps, along with Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel, as the Browns limited Joe Flacco by design to get a look at the other three QBs. It's the start of a long process, and Sanders' chances of starting Week 1 still seem very slim, but the path does exist.

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