NIL

Back to school? Back to the draft? Shemar Stewart could exploit loophole in chaotic rulebook to burn Bengals

Published

5 months ago

July 15, 2025

When it comes to rookie contracts in the NFL, there isn’t usually too much negotiation involved. Thanks to the collective bargaining agreement from 2011, every draft contract is essentially slotted due to the rookie wage scale, which means each player knows how much they’re going to make as soon as they get drafted.

What this means is that negotiating a rookie contract shouldn’t be that difficult, well, unless you’re the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals seem to invent new ways to frustrate their fans (and players) every year, and that’s once again happening this year.

The team’s first-round draft pick, Texas A&M pass rusher Shemar Stewart, showed up at OTAs, but he didn’t participate in a single workout this spring because he still hasn’t signed his contract. He also showed up for the first two days of minicamp during a whirlwind 48 hours where he watched practice before abruptly leaving prior to Thursday’s final session of camp. He didn’t do any on-field activity during those 48 hours, but he did make time to complain about Cincinnat’s front office, which seems to be a theme for Bengals players this offseason.

Bengals contract drama: Cincinnati may be a title contender, but money issues keep distracting franchise

Cody Benjamin

We know this isn’t about the money. Both sides know that Stewart will be signing a four-year, $18.94 million rookie contract that’s fully guaranteed. The 17th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft was complaining because the Bengals threw a curveball in their contract negotiations with him by adding new language to his deal that the Bengals didn’t use with their past two first-round picks. The team essentially wants to add a default clause, according to former NFL team executive Andrew Brandt. This would allow the Bengals to void future guarantees if he were to get into trouble (this could be a suspension for on-field conduct, off-field conduct, an arrest or anything else the Bengals can think of). Normally, a first-round pick gets a fully guaranteed four-year contract, but this would give the Bengals some wiggle room to potentially get out of that if he were to get into trouble at any point during his four-year deal.

Stewart is adamantly against the language being in his contract.

“I’m 100 percent right,” Stewart said about his stance.”I’m not asking for nothing you all have never done before, but in you all case, you all just want to win an argument instead of winning more games.”

This has created arguably the most acrimonious standoff between a rookie and his team since Joey Bosa held out of Chargers’ training camp for 31 days in 2016, which is the longest holdout by any rookie since the 2011 CBA was implemented.

The Bengals are playing hardball with Stewart, and in the past, that has usually worked for them, but this time around, Stewart does have at least one bit of leverage that rookies in the past didn’t have: Money.

Stewart’s leverage. For most of NFL history, rookies were generally broke when they entered the league, so many of them would quickly sign their first contract so they could get the signing bonus in their pocket. That’s not the case with Stewart, though. The former Texas A&M star collected plenty of NIL money in college, so he definitely isn’t broke, which means he can afford to wait things out until he can get the Bengals to cave, if that’s what he wants to do.

If the Bengals aren’t willing to change the language in the contract, that next question becomes: How far would Stewart be willing to go to get what he wants?

He was asked that question this week and he said “it depends.”

Stewart is the prototype of the money and player empowerment era that’s swept up college football recruiting and college football and has now fully arrived at the NFL. He was a high-profile recruit by the time he was a high school sophomore in Florida, debuting as the No. 1 overall prospect in the class of 2022 in the early rankings (he finished ranked No. 9 overall). He’s comfortable in the spotlight. He’s comfortable talking money — a player of his ilk in college football would have commanded at least $1 million the last few transfer portal cycles, and you can bet Texas A&M’s NIL collectives spent a pretty penny to keep Stewart in the system after its infamous, best-class-money-can-buy 2022 recruiting class fell apart.

Stewart can hold a grudge, too. There’s a famous card room story about Stewart from his days as a recruit.

Stewart was a heavy LSU lean and made Baton Rouge his first stop on his official visit circuit. LSU’s operations staff misspelled Stewart’s name on one of the many handouts and greeting pamphlets recruits receive. LSU was never a factor for Stewart after that.

Stewart signed with Texas A&M in somewhat of a Signing Day stunner after hometown Miami made a big push. Texas A&M is believed to have paid more. Stewart’s people, I’ve heard this week, are driven by the principle that they want what they think they deserve and they will not compromise if they don’t get it.

Stewart has several options and he could quickly turn into the Bengals’ (and NFL’s) worst nightmare if he decides to go with a nuclear option of re-entering the draft next year, a process that is outlined in article 6 of the CBA.

Here’s a look at two of his options he would have if he doesn’t want to sign with the Bengals:

He could re-enter the NFL Draft. If Stewart doesn’t sign his contract and he doesn’t play football at all in 2025, he could re-enter the NFL Draft in 2026. If he went this route, it means that any team could draft him next year, except for the Bengals. If a player were to successfully pull off a power move like this, it could throw a wrench into the future of the draft. It would set up potential situations where a player could sit out if he got drafted by a team he didn’t want to play for. Stewart would essentially have until November to make a decision on this. He’s allowed to sign his rookie contract until the Tuesday following Week 10. If he doesn’t sign it by that date, then he’s not allowed to play in 2025. There’s another upside to this strategy: If Stewart went undrafted in 2026 — maybe his situation with the Bengals scares other teams away — then he would become an undrafted free agent following the 2026 draft and he’d be free to sign with any team.
He could ask for a trade. If the Bengals won’t give him the contract language he wants, maybe someone else will. There is a unique deadline in place for any team that wants to trade a rookie: A deal has to be made at least 30 days before the start of the regular season, so a decision would have to be made here by Aug. 5 or Aug. 8 (The CBA isn’t clear if it’s 30 days before the start of the first game of the regular season or 30 days before the Bengals’ first game of the season). The Bengals don’t like being bullied, so this scenario would probably be unlikely, but it would be an option.

Those are the two most practical options, but there’s also a wild card option: Stewart could try to return to Texas A&M for his senior year.

During Monday’s episode of the Cover 3 podcast, CBS Sports college analyst Bud Elliott noted that Stewart has actually been working out at Texas A&M this summer.

“A guy who has had some good A&M stuff in the past, he hit me, he’s like, ‘Hey, Shemar might end up back here,'” Elliott said.

Elliott then said his source had a few more nuggets.

“‘He’s been at College Station, he’s been fully involved in workouts, He’s holding out from the Bengals, (the) relationship is toxic. He could try to come back and play again this season and go into the draft again next year.'”

The NCAA has rules against a player returning to college once they’ve been drafted, so he would likely be facing a legal battle if he went this route, but it could be something that he’s considering. And as Elliott noted, it seems that everything with the NCAA is subject to litigation right now, so Stewart could certainly come out victorious if he decided to go to court.

Stewart could also head to the CFL to stay in football shape, but he likely wouldn’t go that route, because if he signs with another professional football league, that would give his NFL rights to the Bengals for the next three years.

The most likely scenario is that the two sides agree to a deal, but as the Bosa situation proved, these things can drag on. When the Bengals are dug in on something, they don’t usually budge, so it will be interesting to see who wins this multi-million dollar game of chicken.

The Bengals have had a history of slow starts under Zac Taylor and part of that has had to do with contentious contract negotiations. Ja’Marr Chase sat out of training camp last year due to unhappiness with his contract and the Bengals offense looked out of sync to start the season.

Even Joe Burrow seems to be getting tired of the distractions. The QB was asked if Trey Hendrickson’s absence was a distraction and he answered with two words: “Of course.”

“Last year, we had two. This year, we have one,” Burrow said of the holdouts the Bengals have dealt with. “So we do have less. You’d love to have none, but that’s life in the NFL.”

If you’re scoring at home, that means the Bengals sack leader from 2024 (Hendrickson) and the pass rusher who’s supposed to complement him on the defense (Stewart) are both sitting out.

The Bengals had one of the worst defenses in the NFL last season, and now, there’s a chance that Stewart and Hendrickson could both possibly sit out training camp, which certainly won’t make the unit better. It’s another frustrating offseason for Bengals fans, who are probably used to it at this point.

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Arch Manning takes NIL pay cut to boost 2026 Texas Football roster

Published

5 hours ago

December 20, 2025

Your Sports Nation

There are plenty of examples of a star in pro sports taking less money in order to help the overall roster. But it isn’t something that’s hit college football yet … until now, thanks to Arch Manning. Manning has asked to take a reduced portion of the Longhorns’ direct payout pool.

Manning’s aim at taking less NIL funds is to help improve the roster around him. Just like Patrick Mahomes, who regularly gives up millions to help the Kansas City Chief’s roster. Tom Brady did it with New England. Dirk Nowitzki, Tim Duncan, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Jalen Brunson, Aaron Rodgers and Ben Roethlisberger have all helped the rosters around them by taking less.

In the pros, there are salary caps to negotiate. While college has no salary cap (yet), there is a finite amount in the NIL house pool. Texas can only spend what it has available. And while that pool is one of the biggest in the nation, Texas still follows a budget.

No doubt, Manning will be hoping the Texas coaching staff uses some of the freed up football revenue sharing funds on the offensive line. The line struggled in front of Manning all season and certainly inhibited his development early in the season.

Two offensive linemen are gone after the Citrus Bowl and Texas might lose a third. Left tackle Trevor Goosby was named first-team All-SEC is now contemplating going pro. Running back Jadan Baugh from Florida is also on Texas’ radar. The talented RB won’t be cheap.

Of course, it’s not like Manning will starve. The redshirt sophomore has one of the highest NIL valuations in nation. Manning has NIL deals with Red Bull, Panani, Uber and Warby Parker. Manning made north of $3.5 million in NIL deals in 2025, according to the Houston Chronicle.

With a big name that attracts major brands, Manning doesn’t need his big deals supplemented. But most college athletes are paid by the common pool of funds. Manning frees up some of that money for transfers.

This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Manning Pay Cut: Texas QB asks for less NIL money to help boost roster

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Top 5 transfer portal landing spots for TCU quarterback Josh Hoover

Published

6 hours ago

December 20, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The NCAA Transfer Portal claimed another big name on Thursday night.

TCU star quarterback Josh Hoover has announced he intends to move on from the program. Hoover spent the last four seasons with the Horned Frogs, taking over as the starter midway through the 2023 campaign and putting up big numbers in each of the last two years.

In 36 career games, Hoover has completed 771/1183 passes for 9,629 yards with 71 touchdowns to 33 interceptions. He added eight more scores on the ground. There’s a very real likelihood that Hoover’s the most productive quarterback returning to the sport in 2026.

Hoover ranks in the top 5 in TCU program history in touchdown passes and total offense. He’s expected to be a coveted option in the portal.

Where are five landing spots that make sense for Hoover?

Indiana Hoosiers

Back in the College Football Playoff with a different starter for the second consecutive season, Indiana has put together one of the most impressive runs in the sport since Curt Cignetti took over the program.

The undefeated Hoosiers produced their first Heisman Trophy winner in school history last weekend as star quarterback Fernando Mendoza ran away with the award. Mendoza has another season of eligibility remaining, but is projected to be a top selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Indiana has already been linked to Hoover, per CBS Sports’ Chris Hummer.

Miami Hurricanes

Miami has lived in the transfer portal over the past few years, investing plenty of time and money into building a contender for Mario Cristobal. The moves finally worked out in 2025 as a massive financial commitment to secure Carson Beck from Georgia helped power the Hurricanes to the playoffs.

Though the conclusion of the 2024 season was a disappointment, former Miami quarterback Cam Ward was developed into the No. 1 pick in the most recent NFL Draft. Beck will likely get a shot at the professional level as well.

With little proven depth on the roster, it makes sense to bring in another experienced quarterback like Hoover to keep the Hurricanes on the right track. Miami has proven it’s willing to pay up.

Oregon Ducks

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Oregon is a known quarterback factory, sending former stars such as Marcus Mariota and Justin Herbert to the NFL. That hasn’t changed since Dan Lanning took over the program in 2022.

The Ducks have had a quarterback drafted in back-to-back years, with Bo Nix going in the first round in 2024 and Dillon Gabriel being selected within the top-100 picks in 2025. Lanning could do it again next April with Dante Moore, who is nearing the end of a career year.

If Moore does leap to the professional level, Hoover would be a solid fit. Nix, Gabriel, and Moore all began their college careers at different schools and later transferred to Oregon, a similar path Hoover is embarking on.

Texas Tech Red Raiders

Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire | Nathan Giese/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Suiting up for a playoff contender is pretty cool. Having a chance to win championships and staying home in the process might be even cooler.

Texas Tech has firmly entrenched itself as a program to reckon with in the modern age of the sport. The Red Raiders have plenty of money, and they’ve shown they’re willing to use it to pull in elite talent from the transfer portal and high school ranks.

With Behren Morton exhausting his eligibility following the playoff run, Texas Tech has to decide if it wants to turn the program over to another transfer or a homegrown talent like Will Hammond.

Either way, Hoover is from Texas and he’s already in the state.

Houston Cougars

An outlier among four other programs that have a chance to win it all, Houston is on the come-up. The Cougars haven’t been shy about writing checks, evidenced by the program signing five-star quarterback Keisean Henderson during the Early Signing Period.

Redshirt junior starter Conner Weigman does have one season of eligibility remaining and has stated he intends to return next season. Decisions are quick to change in this era, so never say never.

Would Houston bring in Hoover while Henderson develops for a season? Or should the program stick with Weigman as a veteran leader for Henderson?

Weigman just joined the program as a transfer last year. He was fine, but unspectacular this fall, and an upgrade could help the Cougars break their ceiling.

South Carolina Upstate visits Youngstown State after Carroll’s 31-point outing

Published

7 hours ago

December 20, 2025

Your Sports Nation

South Carolina Upstate Spartans (8-6) at Youngstown State Penguins (7-5, 2-1 Horizon League)

Youngstown, Ohio; Saturday, 1 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Youngstown State hosts South Carolina Upstate after Cris Carroll scored 31 points in Youngstown State’s 80-77 overtime loss to the Robert Morris Colonials.

The Penguins are 4-0 on their home court. Youngstown State scores 80.2 points and has outscored opponents by 10.9 points per game.

The Spartans are 2-5 on the road. South Carolina Upstate is fifth in the Big South scoring 79.6 points per game and is shooting 46.2%.

Youngstown State averages 10.4 made 3-pointers per game, 3.8 more made shots than the 6.6 per game South Carolina Upstate gives up. South Carolina Upstate has shot at a 46.2% rate from the field this season, 3.3 percentage points greater than the 42.9% shooting opponents of Youngstown State have averaged.

TOP PERFORMERS: Carroll averages 3.0 made 3-pointers per game for the Penguins, scoring 16.4 points while shooting 48.6% from beyond the arc. Rich Rolf is averaging 10.8 points over the last 10 games.

Mason Bendinger is scoring 16.1 points per game and averaging 3.1 rebounds for the Spartans. Carmelo Adkins is averaging 1.9 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Penguins: 6-4, averaging 81.3 points, 33.6 rebounds, 15.2 assists, 9.1 steals and 3.3 blocks per game while shooting 49.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 67.7 points per game.

Spartans: 5-5, averaging 75.4 points, 33.5 rebounds, 14.1 assists, 6.1 steals and 5.0 blocks per game while shooting 43.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 73.2 points.

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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Arch Manning agrees to reduced NIL share to help Texas build roster

Published

8 hours ago

December 20, 2025

Your Sports Nation

In a college football world where NIL numbers keep climbing, Arch Manning is going the other way.

Arch Manning #16 of the Texas Longhorns reacts before the Texas Football Orange-White Spring Football Game

Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images

The Texas quarterback has agreed to take a reduced share from the Longhorns’ revenue-sharing pool for the 2026 season, according to Justin Wells of Inside Texas. Manning was entitled to a full portion of the program’s revenue cap but opted to scale it back in an effort to give Texas more flexibility to strengthen its roster.

It is a move that stands out in the current landscape. It is also one Manning can afford to make.

Manning remains one of the most marketable players in college football and has a long list of endorsement deals that will continue to pay handsomely. Even with less money coming directly from the school, he is still expected to earn millions in 2026.

This is not the first time he has shown restraint, either. Manning has consistently been selective with his NIL opportunities since arriving in Austin.

The timing matters. The 2026 season is widely expected to be Manning’s last at Texas before he makes the jump to the NFL. From that perspective, the decision is straightforward. He wants the best possible team around him for one more run at a national championship.

Manning has already demonstrated his commitment to the program. He waited his turn behind Quinn Ewers for two seasons without entertaining a transfer and now is willing to sacrifice a portion of his compensation for the good of the roster.

On the field, the growth showed. After a shaky start in 2025, Manning finished with 2,942 passing yards and 24 touchdowns. Texas rebounded from a 3-2 opening to win six of its final seven games, punctuated by a decisive win over Texas A&M.

It is not a common move. It is a very Arch Manning one.

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Miami WR Malachi Toney inks NIL deal with Hellstar

Published

9 hours ago

December 20, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Ahead of the College Football Playoff opener, Malachi Toney added a notable NIL deal. The Miami wide receiver has inked a partnership with apparel company Hellstar.

Toney is Hellstar’s first NIL athlete, the Los Angeles-based brand said in an Instagram post. He became a crucial part of the Hurricanes’ offense during the regular season, helping lead the program to a College Football Playoff appearance as the last team in the field.

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It was part of a decorated freshman year for Toney, who’s emerging as one of the top young stars in the sport. Repped by NETWORK, he has a $878,000 On3 NIL Valuation.

“We are so proud to announce our first Hellstar Sports College Athlete NIL signing – Malachi Toney,” Hellstar wrote in its announcement. “We had the privilege to coach @malitoney10 while he was apart of our high school 7 on 7 program, so now seeing him shine on the collegiate level we couldn’t be more proud.

“We will continue to do our part to help these young athletes stay on the right path, and shine their light to the rest of the world. From Liberty City to the stars!”

It’s the latest notable NIL deal for Toney amid his freshman season. He also secured a partnership with Leaf Trading Cards in October.

More on Malachi Toney’s freshman season

Through his freshman year at Miami, Malachi Toney emerged as a top target for Carson Beck. He led the Hurricanes with 84 receptions for 970 yards, and his seven touchdown catches put him atop the ACC. Toney also added 89 rushing yards this year, as well as a rushing touchdown against Louisville.

Those numbers helped Toney become an On3 True Freshman All-American this year. In addition, he was a central figure in Miami’s run to the College Football Playoff.

“Toney’s quickness and playmaking instincts make him dangerous after the catch. He accounted for 350 yards after the catch with an average depth of target of 6.6, according to Pro Football Focus,” On3 | Rivals’ Charles Power wrote. “Whether working out of the slot or moving around the formation, the South Florida native has proven nearly impossible to contain. His playmaking ability was pivotal to Miami’s playoff push as he became the focal point of the Hurricanes’ passing attack.

“Given his play as a true freshman, it’s safe to say the Fort Lauderdale American Heritage product will enter next season as one of college football’s premier wide receivers. Toney’s performance as a true freshman is even more impressive considering that he should still be in high school, having reclassified into the 2025 cycle late in the recruiting process.”

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Arch Manning taking pay cut after first Texas season didn’t go as planned

Published

10 hours ago

December 20, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Arch Manning is taking a pay cut.

The Texas quarterback agreed to take a reduced share of the team’s revenue-sharing pool “as part of an effort to help the Longhorn football program do whatever it takes to support a 2026 championship run,” according to On3’s Justin Wells.

The savings “could be used on transfer portal talent or as part of retention efforts” for the Longhorns, per Wells.

This season, athletic programs were capped at $20.5 million in revenue-sharing, although that number is likely to increase next season and beyond.

AUSTIN, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 28: Arch Manning #16 of the Texas Longhorns looks on during the third quarter against the Texas A&M Aggies at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on November 28, 2025 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images) — Arch Manning #16 of the Texas Longhorns looks on during the third quarter against the Texas A&M Aggies at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on November 28, 2025 in Austin, Texas. Getty Images

Manning, the nephew of NFL icons Peyton and Eli Manning and the grandson of legendary quarterback Archie, is one of the most marketable athletes in college sports.

On3 currently gives Manning an NIL valuation of $5.3 million, which leads all student-athletes.

Although he is getting less money from Texas, Manning still holds NIL deals with brands like Red Bull, Uber and EA Sports, among others.

However, Manning sometimes struggled in a season that started with Heisman hype and the Longhorns ranked No. 1 in the nation.

Texas finished the season 9-3 and out of the College Football Playoff, a disappointing midseason loss against a poor Florida team all but ended their chances of being in the 12-team field.

Manning’s season was underwhelming as well, throwing for 2,942 yards with 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

The news comes after Manning’s father, Cooper Manning, told ESPN earlier this week that his son would return to the Longhorns in 2026 for his junior season despite previously mulling entering the 2026 NFL Draft.

“Arch is playing football at Texas next year,” Cooper said.

Texas finished No. 13 in the end of season rankings and will be on the sidelines for the College Football Playoff, which kicks off on Friday.

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