The light at the end of the tunnel is finally visible, Shemar Stewart has officially agreed to terms with the Cincinnati Bengals and will be available for the upcoming NFL season.

The Cincinnati Bengals are preparing to enter training camp this week despite still being at odds with two prominent pieces of their defense in sack leader Trey Hendrickson and rookie first-round pick Shemar Stewart.

The Bengals are slated to host free agent tight end Noah Fant for a visit on Thursday, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz. Fant was released by the Seahawks over the weekend. He began his career with three seasons in Denver after being a first-round pick in 2019. With the Broncos, Fant caught 170 passes for 1,905 yards and 10 touchdowns.

When the Cincinnati Bengals report to training camp on Tuesday, Trey Hendrickson won't be there. The Bengals star is currently about 800 miles away from Ohio in Northern Florida, which means one of two things happened: Either he forgot he was supposed to report to training camp or his contract standoff with the Bengals has gotten so ugly that he decided not to show up.

But now, the Cincinnati Bengals want to rewrite that deal. They’re trying to insert a clause into first-round pick Shemar Stewart’s contract that would allow them to void his guarantees if he’s suspended, arrested, or judged to have engaged in conduct "detrimental" to the team − even if that conduct is a misdemeanor.

As the Bengals and Trey Hendrickson continue to battle it out over a new contract, the Browns may dodge the bullet of playing him twice per year.

With Bengals’ first-round draft pick Shemar Stewart finally under contract, only one 2025 selection remains unsigned. Browns running back Quinshon Judkins, the fourth pick in round two, is not under contract. And it’s not about whether he’ll receive a fully-guaranteed contract. The player taken before him did, and the four taken after him did.

Cincinnati Bengals rookie Shemar Stewart remains the only first-round pick without a contract yet as rookies report to training camp in Cincinnati this weekend. According to Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer, Stewart and the Bengals have yet to reach a compromise on his contract.

The Bengals have major questions on the defensive line from players in the position group who may not be on the field when training camp starts.