Cincinnati Bengals rookie defensive end Shemar Stewart, who the team drafted in the first round with the 17th pick in 2025, plans on making his return in Week 16 against the Miami Dolphins.

Stewart has been out of action since Cincinnati's Week 9 loss to the Chicago Bears due to a left knee injury.

Ahead of the Bengals' Week 16 matchup, the 22-year-old sent a message about his return and what type of impact he will look to make.

"I feel good, getting back to playing football. I've been gone for a while. [I] can't wait to be back," Stewart said in a locker room interview on Thursday.

"[I] just want to go out there and make an impact, whether that's doing my job or all the extraordinary stats."

Though it is good news for the Bengals to get their rookie defensive end back on the field, it is not going to make too much of a difference at this point.

With a 4-10 record, they have officially been eliminated from playoff contention. This marks the third consecutive season the Bengals will not be in the postseason after making it to back-to-back AFC Championship Games in the 2021 and 2022 seasons and making an appearance in Super Bowl LVI.

This season has not gone Cincinnati's way. Quarterback Joe Burrow only played five games for the team so far this season, though he intends to play the remaining three games on the schedule regardless of their standing, according to head coach Zac Taylor.

There is a lot to like about the Bengals' roster, at least offensively. When healthy, Burrow is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. Just last season, he led the NFL in passing yards (4.918) and passing touchdowns (43). Additionally, he only threw nine interceptions and finished fourth in MVP voting. 

Alongside Burrow, the Bengals also have one of the best receiving duos in the league in Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. 

Still, they will once again miss the postseason, and a lot of this comes down to their defense.

This season, the Bengals have allowed 245.9 passing yards per game (fifth-worst in the NFL) and 157.9 rushing yards per game, which is the most in the league. They also allow a league-worst 31.2 points per game.

Cincinnati may have some changes to make this offseason. There is a lot of talent on the roster, but it has not amounted to much success in recent seasons, including this one. The team may be able to turn things around, but at this point, they have not given fans many reasons to believe they actually will.