Cincinnati Bengals Hit With Early Training Camp Scare as Shemar Stewart Gets Carted Off

One of the biggest questions surrounding the Cincinnati Bengals entering training camp was whether Shemar Stewart was ready to take a major step forward. By the end of the first practice, the conversation had shifted entirely.

Stewart's day lasted only a handful of snaps before he was helped off the field and eventually carted away with what appeared to be a left leg injury. That alone would have been enough to grab attention. The timing made it even more unsettling.

According to Mike Petraglia of CLNS Cincy, Stewart went down on just the second rep of the second-team defensive line during 11-on-11 work. Petraglia reported that trainers spent time flexing Stewart's left knee before helping him onto the cart with the leg fully extended. Isaiah Foskey immediately stepped into Stewart's spot and finished the remainder of the period with the second unit.

The Bengals are only one practice into camp, and they're still several days away from putting on pads. That leaves plenty of room for optimism until the team provides more information. Still, the visual itself was difficult to ignore.

Stewart limped off initially before the Bengals' medical staff examined his left leg. After several minutes on the field, trainers called for a cart and took him inside — with Stewart unable to put weight on the injured leg, as reported by Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer.

That sequence naturally raises concern for a player whose rookie season was already interrupted by injuries.

Stewart appeared in just eight games last year due to a knee injury that landed him on injured reserve in November. Earlier in the season, he had also dealt with a right ankle injury after being rolled up on during Cincinnati's Week 2 victory over Jacksonville. After spending much of the offseason healthy and preparing for a larger role, Wednesday represented an opportunity to begin building momentum entering Year 2.

Instead, the Bengals are once again waiting for answers.

The timing also complicates Cincinnati's evaluation process over the next few weeks. Stewart entered camp competing for a starting edge role opposite Boye Mafe, and the preseason figures to play an important role for younger defenders trying to carve out regular snaps.

Head coach Zac Taylor acknowledged earlier this week that the Bengals may approach preseason playing time differently because of the experience now on the roster.

"We'll determine that as we get closer," Taylor said when asked about preseason plans, via  Sports Illustrated's Russell Heltman. "I think last year we were bringing a lot of younger guys that were going to play key roles for us. Now you're adding a lot of guys that have played in this league for a long time."

Taylor also pointed to the continuity of a defensive coaching staff entering its second season together, saying the scheme slowed considerably after last year's bye week.

That continuity could help soften the blow if Stewart misses time. But it doesn't change the fact that Cincinnati was counting on one of its most athletic young defenders to begin making a bigger impact.

With only helmets on and padded practices not scheduled to begin until Monday, the Bengals will now spend the next several days hoping Wednesday's cart ride turns out to be far less serious than it initially appeared.