Bengals Edge Shemar Stewart hyperextended his left knee in Wednesday's practice. HC Zac Taylor said Thursday that the second-year player will miss "several weeks" but should return "sooner than later," according to Bengals beat reporter Mike Petraglia.
What They're Saying: Stewart Back with Team
Petraglia: "Stewart was back in the locker room with teammates Thursday, with a leg-length brace on his left leg."
2026 Fantasy Football Impact: Problems Go Beyond Knee
Practice video showed Stewart's knee bending inward, raising fears of a ligament tear. So this is good news for the 2025 first-round pick.
That said, Stewart arrived as an athletic but raw prospect last year. He missed offseason workouts and the beginning of training camp amid a contract dispute and then lost time to a pair of in-season injuries.
The additional missed time this camp won't help his development.
Stewart remains likely to get starter-level reps once fully healthy, because the Bengals need last year's top pick to work out. But I've disliked him since he was a prospect.
Stewart got into Round 1 because of his top-shelf athleticism, but he never turned that into college production. He totaled 4.5 sacks and 11.0 tackles for loss across three seasons at Texas A&M, with no more than 1.5 sacks in any year.
I'm not interested in him for redraft or dynasty IDP rosters.
