The entire Cincinnati Bengals defense held its collective breath on Wednesday during the team’s fiery opening training camp practice.
Defensive end Shemar Stewart suffered what looked like a bad injury to his lower leg on just the second rep of 11-on-11 drills. After being evaluated by the training staff, Stewart was carted off the practice field.
Stewart was spotted wearing a protective leg brace on his left leg while on crutches. The Bengals have not yet revealed the severity of Stewart’s injury.
Caleb Noe of WCPO shared a video of the injury on social media. Warning: it’s not for the faint of heart.
🎥 Video of Shemar Stewart’s injury:
Fair warning… It’s not a fun watch 😕#Bengals @WCPO pic.twitter.com/IPjcI2Qhlx
— Caleb Noe (@CalebNoeTV) July 29, 2026
Shemar Stewart Posts on IG After Injury
It’s clear that Stewart’s leg twisted wrong, and now all the Bengals can do is hope for the best. But Stewart made a cryptic post on his Instagram following the brutal injury.
We’ve got our post-injury vaguepost from Shemar Stewart! pic.twitter.com/TPgRK6Drn5
— Jake Liscow (@JakeLiscow) July 29, 2026
Shemar Stewart Injury Outlook
The official update on Stewart has yet to come down, but there has been fear that the pass rusher will be out for the season. If this is the case, it would be a massive blow to a Bengals’ defense that had been getting all sorts og hype throughout the offseason.
Stewart making this post seems to indicate that he will be on the mend for some time.
Stewart, the 2025 first-round draft pick, had been expected to play a key role in the Bengals’ defense this season. His rookie year was filled with drama, as Stewart and the Bengals took months to come to a contract agreement.
The pass rusher ultimately battled injuries during the year, being limited to jsut eight games, starting five. In that time, Stewart registered one sack.
Bengals defensive coordinator Al Golden was excited to see what Stewart’s had in store for his second season. When Stewart was drafted, he was seen as a work in progress, but his athleticism and talent were ranked highly.
“He gives us great versatility,” Golden said. “We should see a huge jump with him, to be honest with you.”
The Bengals will now wait for the results to come back, hoping that Stewart’s injury isn’t season-ending. Stewart was hoping for a bounce-back season following the disappointing rookie year.
Bengals Defensive Upgrades
If Stewart is out for a long period of time, thankfully the Bengals added to the defense over the offseason. Cincinnati’s front office made it a point to bring in multiple new players, bolstering the defensive unit.
Star defensive tackle Deter Lawrence leads the way, giving Cincinnati a Pro Bowl-caliber player up the middle. The Bengals also signed pass rusher Boye Mafe, safety Bryan Cook, and tackle Jonathan Allen, among others, to help the unit.
The new-look Bengals defense has given hope to this roster that the team can return to the playoffs in 2026. Cincinnati has been one of the biggest sleeper teams across the NFL, with some insiders even wondering if they could make a Super Bowl run this season.
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