11 months ago
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Ben BabyJul 17, 2025, 03:42 PM ET
- Ben Baby covers the Cincinnati Bengals for ESPN. He joined the institution successful July 2019. Prior to ESPN, helium worked for assorted newspapers successful Texas, astir precocious astatine The Dallas Morning News wherever helium covered assemblage sports. He provides regular sum of the Bengals for ESPN.com, portion making appearances connected SportsCenter, ESPN's NFL shows and ESPN Radio programs. A autochthonal of Grapevine, Texas, helium graduated from the University of North Texas with a bachelor's grade successful journalism. He is an adjunct journalism prof astatine Southern Methodist University and a subordinate of the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA).
CINCINNATI -- Texas A&M manager Mike Elko connected Thursday squashed immoderate speculation astir Cincinnati Bengals rookie antiaircraft extremity Shemar Stewart perchance seeking a instrumentality to assemblage amid a declaration dispute with the NFL team.
Yes, the antiaircraft extremity has been moving retired successful College Station with his erstwhile A&M teammates this summer. However, contempt speculation, Stewart volition so beryllium swapping his Aggies' maroon-and-white jersey for the Bengals' orange-and-black one.
"There's nary intentions of Shemar to play for the Aggies this year," Elko told ESPN's Shae Cornette. "But Shemar has been around. He's precise comfy successful our program. Really likes what we bash training-wise. He's been training, getting acceptable for his play this twelvemonth with the Bengals. We privation him the best."
Earlier this week, speculation was raised astir the anticipation of Stewart perchance returning to Texas A&M for his last twelvemonth of NCAA eligibility -- a determination that apt would person required a suit against the collegiate governing body. A root adjacent to Stewart told ESPN earlier successful the week that, portion it was a possibility, the astir desirable result was to play for the Bengals this season.
Stewart, the 17th wide prime successful April's draft, is the lone first-round enactment who has yet to sign, and helium has not participated successful immoderate of the Bengals' offseason workouts arsenic helium seeks to change declaration connection that could perchance impact aboriginal guaranteed money.
"In my case, I'm 100% right," Stewart said successful June. "I'm not asking for thing (the team) hasn't been done before. But successful (the team's) case, y'all conscionable privation to triumph an statement alternatively of winning much games, successful my opinion."
The Bengals' rookies are scheduled to study Saturday, with the archetypal signifier opening Wednesday. Stewart and linebacker Demetrius Knight, the team's second-round pick, are the lone members of the Bengals' draught people that stay unsigned.
