Bengals' 2025 first-round pick Shemar Stewart carted off from practice with gruesome leg injury

Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Shemar Stewart left the practice field on a cart Wednesday after sustaining a gruesome injury to his left leg at training camp.

Stewart's left foot planted awkwardly in the turf, and his knee hyperextended. He was tended to by athletic trainers on the field, and he eventually left the field on a cart.

Stewart wasn't able to put weight on his leg on the field, Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer reported. ESPN's Bengals beat reporter Ben Baby reports that Stewart was on crutches with a brace around his leg after practice.

The nature of his injury and his prognosis weren't immediately clear.

Stewart was Cincinnati's first-round pick (No. 17) in the 2025 NFL Draft. He missed nine games as a rookie due to an ankle injury and a separate knee injury that landed him on injured reserve late in the season.

In eight games in 2025, Stewart tallied 11 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 sack and 1 quarterback hit. The Bengals drafted Stewart seeking to upgrade a defense that's been among the league's worst for several seasons. They're now hoping that Stewart doesn’t face an extended absence in his second NFL season.