Bills Could Teach Lesson to AFC Rival on Rookie Contracts

Bills Could Teach Lesson to AFC Rival on Rookie Contracts originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

The Buffalo Bills know that to reach the Super Bowl, they will likely have to beat some of the best quarterbacks in their conference.

Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, and Joe Burrow are three of the biggest names Buffalo must prepare for. The good news for the Bills is that Burrow’s Cincinnati Bengals continue to embarrass themselves as they make their bid.

And the lesson in Cincinnati’s failings is something that the Bills take to heart.

With the recent signings of first-round cornerback Maxwell Hairston and fourth-round defensive tackle Deone Walker, the Bills have hit the gas on signing this draft class to rookie deals.

The same cannot be said for the Bengals. Cincinnati has yet to sign first-round pick Shemar Stewart to his deal. Stewart did not practice during minicamp and spoke publicly about the rare conditions in his contract that the Bengals have tried to get him to sign.

He won’t do it. And now he’s making the Bengals look foolish.

This doesn’t come as a surprise. Over the years, Cincinnati’s ownership has consistently tried to be “tight” on its players during negotiations. They maybe even had to be pressured by Burrow to give wide receivers Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase long-term extensions this offseason.

The Bills have their conflict with James Cook and that merits watching.

But …

Cincinnati has missed the playoffs in each of the last two seasons. They may seem like a contender as long as Burrow is at quarterback, but their struggles with Stewart highlight a bigger problem. …

One that Bills Mafia hopes will never hamstring Buffalo.

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 14, 2025, where it first appeared.

Bills Could Teach Lesson to AFC Rival on Rookie Contracts

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