With Jahdae Barron signing with the Denver Broncos, Cincinnati’s Shemar Stewart remains the lone first-round pick unsigned.
Jahdae Barron Signs With Broncos
Exact terms of Barron deal, per source:
Signing bonus: $9,784,126
4-year total: $18,073,176— MikeKlis9NEWS (@mikeklis9news) July 16, 2025
It took longer than expected, but Barron finally has a deal.
Per Mike Klis, Barron and the Broncos have agreed to a four-year, $18 million contract, with a signing bonus of $9.8 million. The holdup around Barron’s deal reportedly involved the signing bonus.
The Broncos selected Barron out of Texas with the No. 20 pick in April’s draft. Barron, who spent five years with the Longhorns, registered 67 tackles and five interceptions in 2024.
Thorpe won the Jim Thorpe Award — given to the top defensive back in college football — in 2024.
Barron’s versatility is his strength, as the defender played cornerback, nickel, safety, and linebacker at Texas. Barron predominantly practiced at the corner this offseason, so expect him to start the season in the secondary.
The Texas product joins a strong Broncos secondary that includes Defensive Player of the Year, Patrick Surtain II, and Riley Moss.
Broncos rookies reported to training camp on Wednesday. Veterans will report next Tuesday.
Barron will look to help a Broncos team that made the postseason in 2024 for the first time since winning Super Bowl 50.
Shemar Stewart Remains Unsigned
Let me clear this up for everyone.
Shemar Stewart lives in Texas when he's not in Cincinnati. I can confirm from a source that he is training at A&M by himself using their facilities (very common) to get ready for the upcoming NFL season. Not with the Texas A&M team.
Carry… https://t.co/n1x6Ihata6
— Kelsey Conway (@KelseyLConway) July 15, 2025
After Barron’s signing, Stewart is now the lone first-round rookie without a contract.
The Bengals drafted the defensive end at No. 17 this past April. However, the two sides have not agreed to a contract.
Due to the collective bargaining agreement, Stewart’s contract is a four-year deal worth $18.9 million. However, the Bengals are trying to pull off an unprecedented move with future guarantees.
The Bengals want to have the right to void future guarantees. Stewart does not want this to happen. All he’s asking for is similar language to every other first-round pick, where the team can’t void the guarantees.
Stewart has voiced his displeasure with the Bengals to the media.
“I’ve been doing this for most of my whole life, and all of a sudden it’s gone over something very simple to fix,” Stewart said. via Kelsey Conway. “It’s kind of disappointing.”
Reports surfaced earlier this week that Stewart was practicing with his collegiate team, Texas A&M. Per Conway, Stewart is using the Aggies’ facilities to prepare for the season. He is not practicing with the team.
The Bengals likely selected Stewart to pair with All-Pro edge rusher Trey Hendrickson, who is also in a contract dispute with the Bengals and will not report to training camp without a new deal.
“I thought I would be on the field by now.” #Bengals first round pick Shemar Stewart on his contract situation pic.twitter.com/AxQpbh5cl0
— Kelsey Conway (@KelseyLConway) June 10, 2025
