The Cincinnati Bengals are still hoping that edge rusher Shemar Stewart can develop into the player they wanted him to be when they used a first-round pick to select him. Certainly, he has all the talent in the world to make that leap.
The coach in charge of Stewart’s development is defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery. He landed in Cincinnati ahead of the 2025 season, along with Stewart. So, after he struggled to transition to the NFL, the pressure is on.
Stewart finished his rookie season playing in only 8 games with 5 starts. He had just 1.0 sacks and 2 tackles for a loss during that time. Still, Montgomery believes a breakout is around the corner.
Jerry Montgomery Shared his High Expectations for Shemar Stewart in 2026
GettyCincinnati Bengals edge rusher Shemar Stewart
In a recent appearance on the Bengals Booth podcast, Jerry Montgomery had the chance to talk about Shemar Stewart. There, he attributed Stewart’s struggles to the time he missed last year.
“Shemar missed six months of football,” Montgomery said. “He was injured. He missed most of the season. I would say there were times he wasn’t ready to be out there as a guy that just missed so much football.”
Stewart would report to mandatory mini-camp after being drafted. However, he did not participate in drills as he struggled to come to terms on a deal with the team. That all led to tensions between Stewart and the Bengals before the season even began.
Once the season was underway, Stewart suffered a knee injury in Week 9. That forced him to be placed on IR, only to be reinstated ahead of Week 16. He’s healthy now, though, and Montgomery expects improvement this offseason.
“I think with some development and a full offseason…he’s healthy, he’s doing a great job in his offseason training right now, I look for him to have a big year, and I’m excited about his future,” Montgomery said.
Defensive Tackle is Regarded as the Biggest Need for the Cincinnati Bengals in the NFL Draft
GettyShemar Stewart and McKinnley Jackson of the Cincinnati Bengals
With the NFL Draft rapidly approaching, there are a few major needs still out there for the Cincinnati Bengals. That includes along the defensive line. In fact, ESPN insider Ben Baby shared that defensive tackle is still the biggest need for the Bengals.
“A perfect draft could look like this for Cincinnati: interior defensive lineman (preferably a pass rusher), an offensive tackle who could fill in as a swing guy and a slot wide receiver,” Baby wrote. “Cincinnati will have a good draft slot in each of the first three rounds to add depth at each of those spots. Of course, if a player who could be an immediate starter at slot cornerback or an elite edge rusher is available at No. 10, that seems like a no-brainer. Otherwise, Cincinnati should take advantage of its poor 2025 record and take players at premium positions.”
Cincinnati will be entering the 2026 season without its best veteran leader from the past few years, Trey Hendrickson. That’s a lot of production and a lot of leadership that they’ll need to replace. Hopefully, some of it is going to come from Shemar Stewart.
Of course, defensive tackle isn’t the only need for Cincinnati. Baby knows that, and also listed offensive tackle and wide receiver as key positions of need for the Bengals in the draft.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Bengals Coach Shares Shocking Revelation on Rookie Struggles for Shemar Stewart appeared first on Heavy Sports.