There was no clear-cut first-round favorite for the LA Chargers heading into the 2025 NFL Draft. Defensive line was the betting favorite in terms of the position the Chargers would select, opening the door for Texas A&M's Shemar Stewart at No. 22.
Stewart was one of the biggest standouts at the NFL Combine and on paper, fit in the Chargers' edge rusher room perfectly. Stewart was our prediction to be the Chargers' first-round pick here at Bolt Beat, however, the team ultimately had a chance to take him. The Cincinnati Bengals drafted Stewart with the No. 17 pick.
Chargers fans certainly weren't upset on missing out on Stewart as the team took exciting running back Omarion Hampton in the first round. The outcome is looking even better now as Stewart is embroiled in a contract dispute with his new team long before playing a snap.
Per Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports, Stewart skipped the second phase of offseason workouts due to a disagreement in the language of his rookie contract. Stewart remains unsigned by the team that just drafted him.
Bengals saved Chargers from a potential Shemar Stewart headache
There's no guarantee the Chargers would have even drafted Stewart if he lasted until the No. 22 pick. After all, Jim Harbaugh and Joe Hortiz have raved about Hampton and he may have still been the pick if Stewart was on the board.
However, Stewart was definitely in the conversation and was in the realm of possibility if the draft fell a certain way. It didn't, and thankfully, the Chargers do not need to deal with a rookie contract dispute. Hampton has already signed.
Chargers fans are familiar with this exact same situation thanks to Joey Bosa. Bosa held out in similar fashion after he was drafted in 2016. Bosa eventually signed his deal late in training camp, which impacted the start of his NFL career.
The Bengals are hoping the same situation does not happen with Stewart. Cincinnati needs Stewart at full speed in Week 1, especially given the Trey Hendrickson situation.
Hendrickson is embroiled in a contract dispute of his own. The All-Pro edge rusher said he will not play in 2025 under his current contract. While anything can happen, all signs are pointing to Hendrickson being traded before the start of the 2025 season.
Thankfully, there is no drama around the Chargers. That would not have been the case if Stewart was the team's first-round pick.