Bengals Sign Second-Round Pick Knight To Historic Guaranteed Rookie Contract

The Cincinnati Bengals have reached a historic contract agreement with their second-round draft pick, linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr., marking the first time in NFL history that the 49th overall pick has nearly 80 percent of a four-year rookie deal fully guaranteed, including guarantees into the fourth year. Knight, who played college football at Georgia Tech, Charlotte, and South Carolina, is expected to replace veteran Germaine Pratt and has been running with the first-team defense in training camp. Despite this progress, the Bengals have yet to sign their first-round pick, defensive end Shemar Stewart, due to disagreements over contract guarantees and pay scale compared to previous first-round selections, with Stewart currently missing valuable practice time. The Bengals' front office is also managing contract issues involving key defensive players like Trey Hendrickson. The team's training camp began with all rookies reporting except Stewart, highlighting his contract holdout as a significant unresolved issue. This contract negotiation landscape reflects broader changes in NFL rookie deals, with increased guaranteed money becoming more common among second-round picks.