The Cincinnati Bengals need to come out of their bye week on a hot streak. Cincinnati is 3-2 to start the season after beating Miami in Week 5. One Bengals player is now popping up in trade rumors despite being a recent first-round pick.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano named a few sleeper trade targets in their latest article ahead of Week 7. Their list included one surprising Bengals defender, second-year edge rusher Shemar Stewart.

“One surprise name a few teams are tracking is Cincinnati edge rusher Shemar Stewart,” Fowler wrote. “The 2025 first-round pick is not a factor in the team's rotation right now. He has played 17 defensive snaps, well behind the total for the fourth defensive end, Cedric Johnson (83). And rookie second-rounder Cashius Howell has been impressive. Cincinnati typically doesn't move its young draft picks, but it would be surprising if the Bengals haven't received inquiries on Stewart, whose upside remains high.”

The Bengals drafted Stewart in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Unfortunately, he has yet to make much of an impact since joining the Bengals.

Stewart only played in eight games during his rookie season, logging 11 total tackles, one sack, and one pass defensed. As Fowler noted, his usage has fallen off a cliff during the 2026 season. The Bengals clearly trust newcomer Boye Mafe, rookie Cashius Howell, and Myles Murphy much more than Stewart.

Stewart's time in Cincinnati got off to a rough start. He did not sign his rookie contract until July after a prolonged contract dispute with the team. That may have ruffled some feathers in Cincinnati before Stewart even got the chance to prove himself.

Article Continues Below

It will be interesting to see if the Bengals start having serious trade discussions about Stewart over the next few weeks. In the meantime, Bengals fans should keep an eye on his usage for any clues.

Next up for the Bengals is a divisional matchup against the Ravens.