​Cincinnati Bengals edge rusher Shemar Stewart is positioned as part of the defensive plan for 2026, but the path ahead remains challenging. After a rough rookie season, Stewart’s most important job now is to show steady improvement and prove he can contribute more consistently next year. He has begun that improvement process with a relatively standard offseason, avoiding the distractions of a dramatic draft prep or contract dispute that partly defined his first pro year.
Despite the optimism surrounding a more stable offseason, Stewart isn’t treated as a central, fixed piece of the defense. As Bradley Locklier of Pro Football Focus recently noted, Stewart faces a substantial climb to earn a more prominent role. His rookie campaign was hampered by injuries, including knee and ankle issues that limited him to only about 280 snaps. Even when healthy, his performance fell well short of expectations. Locklier pointed out that Stewart posted a 41.2 overall PFF grade, the lowest among 120 edge rushers to appear in 250 or more snaps. His struggles extended beyond pass rushing; his run-defense grade sat at 29.3, a concerning figure. In terms of pass rush, he ranked in the 12th percentile for PFF pass-rush grade and in the 16th percentile for pass-rush win rate.
A typical offseason and a clean bill of health could help Stewart regain traction, but the Bengals have added depth and insurance this offseason. They signed Boye Mafe and drafted Cashius Howell, creating a duo that can rotate with Myles Murphy and reduce the immediate pressure on Stewart if he stalls again. Those moves suggest a more flexible defensive front, ready to deploy multiple formations and personnel groupings to maximize talent across the edge positions.
Still, the odds look more favorable for Stewart than not. The Bengals intend to run a versatile look that leverages Stewart’s elite physical gifts, using him in a variety of roles and alignments rather than pigeonholing him into one fixed spot. If he can maintain health and stay consistent, Stewart should be able to show progress throughout the season, earning more reps and enabling coaches to mix and match him with the other edge players. Provided there isn’t a major setback, most observers expect Stewart to shake off the memory of his challenging rookie year and emerge as a more reliable contributor by season’s end.
This rewrite is from Bengals Wire and reflects the view that Stewart has a clear path to improvement with better health and a more dynamic defensive approach surrounding him, as the team aims to maximize his physical talents in a multi-front, flexible edge rotation.