Bengals DE Shemar Stewart Returns to Practice One Day After Being Deemed 'Week to Week'

A few minutes after walking off the field following his first practice since hyperextending his knee on the opening day of training camp, Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Shemar Stewart had a short message:

“Injuries suck.”

For the second year in a row, the 2025 first-round pick has missed significant time due to an injury after never missing a game in college because of one.

After missing nine games as a rookie due to ankle and knee injuries – plus valuable offseason work due to a contract dispute – Stewart was eager for a clean slate this summer. But early in the first practice of training camp, he crumpled to the ground on a pass rush and had to be carted off the field.

“It sucks that people have their years just gone just like that, so I thank God that's not my case,” a cheery Stewart said after Wednesday’s practice. “I'm not trying to waste the opportunity because he was definitely looking out for me.”

Stewart said he did individual drills and some condition to ease his way back into the mix.

He avoided landing on Injured Reserve, a move that would have forced him to miss at least the first three games of the season, when the team announced the initial 53-man roster on Monday.

Stewart only did conditioning drills on the rehab field Tuesday. Head coach Zac Taylor said in his news conference before Tuesday’s practice that Stewart would remain on the rehab field this week and “we’ll take him week to week.”

Stewart viewed splitting time between the rehab field and doing individual drills with his teammates 24 hours later as significant progress.

When he walked into the locker room, he was greeted by a throng of reporters circling his locker. Members of the defensive line and other positions on the other side of the room began cheering him and on and yelling “welcome back.”

“It made me feel good,” Stewart said. “It’s very meaningful. Especially after all the hard work I put in the offseason. I’m just trying to get 1 percent better. Try to keep a good attitude and get back on the field with my teammates and brothers.”

Could he be ready to go by the season opener Sept. 13 at Tampa Bay?

“That’s not up to me,” he said. “It’s up to the training staff, and I’m just trying to take it one day at a time. It’s definitely an inconvenience because I definitely needed those reps. I definitely wanted those reps.

“But I can’t complain,” he added. “It could have been a year easily, so I’m happy that I’m still able to play football this year.”

Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Shemar Stewart (94) is assisted off the field with an injury during the first day of Cincinnati Bengals training camp at the Paycor Stadium practice facility in downtown Cincinnati on Wednesday, July 29, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Bengals have the luxury of patience with Stewart given the depth of the defensive line.

They kept 11 defensive linemen on the 53-man roster, and all of them are expected to contribute this season.

Taylor said that position group is the biggest improvement from the 2025 squad.

“The first thing that stands out is definitely the depth of the defensive line,” Taylor said. “That really jumps out. It’s waves there. I think that’s critical. I feel like we’ve got that group right now without speaking about any other positions. We feel like that’s a great starting point and we’ve invested a lot in that room. Really excited to see those guys go play.”

Stewart finished his rookie year with one sack and 11 tackles. He played 280 of a possible 1,085 defensive snaps last year.

The Bengals will have a light practice Thursday before the players take off for the holiday weekend. They’ll return Monday for a shorter practice before moving into the regular game week schedule Wednesday through Friday.

Instead of feeling frustrated by dealing with an injury for the second year in a row, Stewart said he thinks last year’s experience has helped him this summer.

“One thousand percent,” he said. “It's been a lot easier this time around because this is now my second year in the defense, so I kind of already have my footing in the playbook. And then just being way more intentional in the meeting room and paying attention to little things to make to make sure I'm not behind, because being behind is not a good feeling on that football field where everything's going fast.

“I want to get better. It’s not like I don’t want to get better,” he added. “It’s not like I want to get injured. I just want to get back.”

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