“I think this year there is great hunger and urgency to be great as a unit,” Zac Taylor had said at the end of the NFL Draft, signaling the Cincinnati Bengals’ ambition toward resurgence. After a dilapidated 9-8 season that saw the team start the 2024 season with a 4-8 record—their worst start since 2020—it’s understandable why the front office is keen on a revamp. Come Draft night, they did exactly that with three picks each for offense and defense. But looks like things are not as easy as team executives make it out to be. In fact, two of their rookies have already started making a little noise.

On May 9, the Bengals arrived at the Paycor Stadium for their first day of the rookie minicamp. While excitement and competition ran amok with players trying to catch the coach’s eyes, what instead dominated conversations were two notable absences: First-round pick Shemar Stewart and second-round pick Demetrius Knight were seen standing on the sidelines, and did not participate in drills at all. When asked about the same, Taylor informed, “They’re just working through their contracts right now.” 

Later, addressing the same, Stewart also mentioned how he’s doing everything expect the on-field duties. When asked whether a contract can be expected by Monday, the players remained vague and answered, “I would hope so. I would hope so, I would love to be a part of the team…At least I wasn’t the odd one out. Everybody looking at me like, what’s wrong with this guy? So at least it was me and [Demetrius Knight]. Well, a pretty standard response, right? Unfortunately, the supposed real reason for his refusal to budge surfaced soon after.

On May 11, MLFootball published an “EXCLUSIVE” tweet complete with a red siren emoji to indicate the severity of the matter, writing, “🚨EXCLUSIVE: #Bengals 2nd-round LB Demetrius Knight II is not participating in drills because Cincinnati’s rookie waiver, unlike those of the other 31 #NFL teams, does not fully protect players, team sources tell @_MLFootball . All NFL teams use waivers to protect unsigned rookies before contracts, but Cincinnati’s waiver only covers “disabling injuries,” according to league sources familiar with the language. Sources say Knight and other non-participating Cincinnati rookies are not holding out for money but for complete protection and are aiming to change the waiver language for future Bengals draft picks.”

It’s important to note that no official updates confirming or denying the rumors has emerged. But this is actually the case, Knight’s holdout has exposed a crack in the Jungle’s foundation. But what about other NFL teams? Well, their waivers are Fort Knox-level secure. Knight, a former DoorDash driver-turned-South Carolina tackling machine, isn’t chasing a bag—he’s fighting for future rookies. Meanwhile, Stewart, a 6’5”, 267-pound freight train with Ferrari wheels (4.59-second 40-time), wants his contract’s training-camp bonuses to mirror last year’s 17th pick. “I hate being on the sideline just looking at everybody else do work,” Stewart admitted, his combine swagger momentarily muted.

Stats snapshot

• Burrow’s 2024: 4,918 PASS YDS (1st NFL), 43 TDs (1st), 70.6% COMP.

• Bengals’ 2024: 9–8 (3rd AFC North), missed playoffs.

• Knight: 82 TKLs, 8 TFLs in final college season.

• Stewart: 4.59 40-yard dash, 40-inch VERT at 267 lbs.

But this isn’t just paperwork. It’s a rookie with a 4.58-second 40-time and a newborn daughter rewriting the playbook on player advocacy.

Waiver wire tightrope: Rookie grit vs Burrow’s culture

Knight’s journey reads like a ‘Last Chance U’ spinoff: high-school QB, college LB, moonlighting as a delivery driver to support his family. At South Carolina, he sealed wins with game-clenching picks—like his dagger vs. Clemson—and at the Senior Bowl, he lit up ball carriers like a Netflix doc cliffhanger. But Cincy’s waiver language? That’s the real tackle he didn’t see coming. While teammates drilled at minicamp, Knight stood sidelines, absorbing mental reps like Jon Snow studying White Walker strategies. This is about making sure every rookie after him doesn’t have to choose between reps and risk.

Stewart’s standoff is equally charged. His college stats (4.5 sacks in 37 games) don’t scream “first round,” but his combine? Mythic. A 40-inch vertical, 10’11” broad jump—‘Spider-Man’ metrics that earned him a perfect 10.00 RAS score. The Bengals see him as Geno Atkins 2.0, but his camp sees a bonus structure stuck in 2024. The Bengals, fresh off a 9–8 season where Burrow’s heroics couldn’t mask a leaky defense, need both rookies’ firepower. Knight’s 82 tackles in his final college season? Luke Kuechly-esque instincts.

Fun Fact: Stewart’s 2023 scoop-and-score TD vs. Mississippi State? Faster than a Skyline Chili line on game day 💨

Stewart’s QB pressures at Texas A&M? Myles Garrett vibes. Yet here we are—a ‘Hard Knocks’ subplot where principle trumps practice. Cincy’s $26.7 M cap space could’ve been leverage, but both rookies are digging in. Burrow—set to star in Netflix’s ‘Quarterback’ Season 2—knows drama. His 2024 MVP-caliber run (70.6% completion rate, 108.5 passer rating) was poetry, but Cincy’s five-game win streak to close the year felt like a eulogy for missed playoffs.

Now, with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins locked into $276 M extensions, the defense can’t afford rookie limbo. As Burrowmight say, “Confidence isn’t about knowing you’ll win—it’s knowing you’ve prepped for the fight.” For Knight and Stewart, that fight’s in the boardroom. For the Bengals? Time to decide if they’re building a contender or a cautionary tale.