The Kansas City Chiefs are the class of the AFC and will likely remain at the top of the food chain as long as Patrick Mahomes can stay healthy. This is something Chiefs fans know all too well, and it makes the shortcomings of the franchises trying to catch up to them even more enjoyable.
Enter the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals will be without top draft pick Shemar Stewart as the team prepares for the second phase of their offseason program. While there are other first-round picks that remain unsigned as of this writing, the issues between Stewart and Cincinnati seem to go deeper than those.
According to Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer, Stewart is not on the field with his teammates during this stage of the offseason program due to the language included in the contract the Bengals are waiting on him to sign.
"Stewart is requesting that his contract language mirror the last two Bengals’ first-round picks, both of which were selections after pick No. 17. Right tackle Amarius Mims (2024) was selected with the No. 18 overall pick and defensive end Myles Murphy (2023) was taken at pick No. 28, according to a source."
Given the ongoing contract dispute with All-Pro defender Trey Hendrickson, having another defensive end skip the team's program is rather concerning. You can be in the best physical shape of your life, but it is impossible to work off the rust from the offseason without actually being on the field and going through drills. Kansas City's rival is now facing this reality with June on the horizon.
While it is likely only a matter of time until one of the two sides gives in to the other's demands, the Bengals will do themselves no favors in their quest to overtake the Chiefs by continuing to mismanage player relationships in the manner they have with Stewart and Hendrickson.
Fortunately, things are nowhere near as rocky with the defending AFC champions. The lack of drama in Kansas City should help Patrick Mahomes and company focus on the task at hand, winning football games, rather than getting caught up in teammates' public contract disputes.