Shemar Stewart Called Out by Bengals Veteran After Joe Burrow Incident

Texas A&M defensive end Shemar Stewart has yet to truly make an impression in the NFL after being selected by the Cincinnati Bengals with the 17th overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft this past April.

However, his contract dispute shortly after his drafting that Stewart and Cincinnati just now figured out a couple of weeks ago may have rubbed some the wrong way, and the incident between Stewart and Bengals star quarterback Joe Burrow in Wednesday's practice certainly isn't putting him in a positive light.

During the practice, while rushing Burrow in a drill, Stewart bumped into the former Heisman winner and No. 1 overall pick, and needless to say, the offensive line did not take too kindly to it.

Bengals Center Ted Karras Sends Message to Stewart

Cincinnati Bengals rookie defensive end Shemar Stewar — Bengals defensive end Shemar Stewart looks on during the Bengals Rookie Mini Camp on Friday, May 9, 2025 at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati. | Albert Cesare/The Cincinnati Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

One player in particular that was fed up was Cincinnati center Ted Karras, who said that while acknowledging Stewart's skill, told him he needed to do a better job of controlling himself, while also acknowledging that the offensive line shouldn't have let that situation arise to begin with.

"Just be smarter," Karras said, per Charlie Clifford of WLWT. "... Great player, but come on, man. That's all our hopes and dreams right there. We [the offensive line] gotta be better, too. That's on us."

Bengals C Ted Karras had a message for rookie DE Shemar Stewart after he bumped Joe Burrow in practice

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— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) August 13, 2025

Karras certainly has a point with his latter statement. Though Burrow led the NFL in completions, passing yards, and passing touchdowns, he was sacked 48 times, tied for the fourth-most in the league during the 2024 season, and in the 2021 season, the same one that saw the Bengals make it to the Super Bowl, Burrow was the most-sacked quarterback in the league, going down 51 times.

And Karras is no stranger to protecting elite quarterbacks, having won two Super Bowls with the New England Patriots while hiking Tom Brady the football.

All in all, both sides are relatively at fault for the situation. Stewart is a rookie, still adjusting to the professional level of play despite significantly less time to adapt to his new team after the contract debacle, and he should be much more cautious with who makes contact with even in practice, especially if it's the man that's supposed to lead the team to the Promised Land.

However, on the flip side, Karras and the rest of the Bengals need to be a little more aggressive in keeping "Joe Brrr" upright, and not allowing incidents like what happened Wednesday to even have a chance of occurring.