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The Cincinnati Bengals can’t catch a break with their defense. Once again, they rank either at the bottom or near the bottom in most defensive categories.
However, it’s not like they haven’t tried. They’ve used plenty of draft capital to try to solve their woes, although to no avail. That’s why, after watching rookie DE Shemar Stewart being placed on Injured Reserve (IR), NFL analyst Willie Lutz had some big words for that Bengals front office:
“Everything about the Shemar Stewart pick should force a turning point for this front office and ownership group in terms of player acquisition,” Lutz posted on X.
Everything about the Shemar Stewart pick should force a turning point for this front office and ownership group in terms of player acquisition.
— Willie Lutz (@willie_lutz) November 15, 2025
Stewart was placed on Injured Reserve with a knee injury ahead of the divisional matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers. As a result, he will miss at least the next three games as well.
His rookie season has been a bit of a disaster. It all started when he refused to sign his rookie deal because the Bengals changed the language of the contract to potentially void some guarantees. And while he ultimately put pen to paper, it wasn’t pretty.
The Bengals’ front office has been in the headlines multiple times for all the wrong reasons. They have a knack for rubbing their players the wrong way, low-balling them, and mistreating them.
It’s not like Cincinnati has the most appealing sports market in the nation, so they will have a tough time landing talent as it is. That approach to negotiations certainly doesn’t help their case.
As for Stewart, he has already missed four games with an ankle injury. After all he pushed to get that contract, he hasn’t lived up to the expectations at all.
NEXT: Chad Johnson Cautions Bengals About Bringing Back Joe Burrow
