Shemar Stewart returned to practice Wednesday, sparking hope that the former first-rounder will bolster Cincinnati’s revamped defensive front for the Week 1 opener against Tampa Bay.
Cincinnati Bengals defensive lineman Shemar Stewart was seen at practice in full uniform on Wednesday afternoon. This is the first time he’s been with the team in a practice setting since injuring his left knee on the first day of training camp on a pass-rush attempt.
The initial reaction to the injury was that Stewart had a major knee injury given the gruesome look of how his leg bent; however, the Bengals were very lucky, and the injury was minor. The question quickly became whether Stewart would play in Week 1, not whether he would play at all this season. The fact that it was the first training camp practice of the season also gave fans pause.
Stewart took part in position drills, so he still has several steps to take before fans can count on him to play in Week 1. A mild-grade knee hyperextension takes two to four weeks to heal. It has been just over four weeks since Stewart suffered his injury on July 29, so there is definitely a good chance he plays during Week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Stewart had a disappointing year 1, playing in just eight games and posting 11 tackles with a single sack. This followed a drama-filled offseason in which he delayed signing his rookie contract over disagreements about guaranteed money. His inability to stay on the field and produce when he was on the field is another reason why the Bengals defense was among the league’s worst in 2025.
The positive thing for the Bengals is that Stewart’s potential absence wasn’t the end of the world. Yes, they’d obviously prefer to have him. A lot of people are expecting the former first-round pick to take a big step forward in his second season. However, edge rushers like Myles Murphy, Boye Mafe, and Cashius Howell give the Bengals a deep defensive line to complement guys like Dexter Lawrence, Jonathan Allen, and BJ Hill.
If Stewart is able to take that step forward and play to his first-round potential, the defense could very well be better than expected, as many are projecting the Bengals to possibly be a top-15 defense, making a big jump forward from ranking as the 30th-best defense in the league in 2025.
We will continue monitoring whether Stewart participates in full-team drills over the next few days, which would point to him playing in Week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
