CINCINNATI -- Bengals defensive end Shemar Stewart found himself in an unfamiliar position ahead of last week's game against the Baltimore Ravens. Going into the AFC North matchup, Cincinnati's 2025 first-round pick was informed he was going to be a healthy scratch.
"I don't think I've ever been healthy and ready to go and never played in my life," Stewart told ESPN on Wednesday. "So that was a different feeling."
Stewart has battled a couple of injuries in his young career, including a hyperextended knee that forced him to miss all of training camp. After watching his teammates Sunday, Stewart knows what he has to show and prove moving forward.
"I go out there in practice every day, trying to play fast, try to show that I know my assignment and know what I'm doing so I give them the confidence to play me," Stewart said.
Stewart has played in just three of the team's six games this season and has a total of 17 snaps.
He didn't play in Cincinnati's season opener because of the lack of practice reps in the offseason. He also didn't participate in the Week 3 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers but was available for the team if needed.
That wasn't the case against the Ravens. Earlier in the week, Bengals coach Zac Taylor said a combination of a deep defensive line and a lack of injuries on the 53-player roster have squeezed the numbers on game day. A team can have a maximum of 48 players active for each game.
Cincinnati's eighth-year coach praised Stewart's approach amid a trying year.
"[We] keep encouraging him because he's doing everything the right way and he's really making the progress we're hoping to see," Taylor said. "I don't want to do that every week, but we're going to have to be creative with where we pull from."
Behind starters Myles Murphy and Boye Mafe, who leads the team with 4.5 sacks, Cincinnati has had other players contribute. Cedric Johnson, a third-year veteran, has two sacks. Rookie Cashius Howell, the team's second-round pick this year, is fifth in the NFL in pressure rate and notched his first career sack last weekend in the 35-13 win over the Ravens.
"It was definitely fun seeing my [teammates] out there," Stewart said. "But a part of me was still a little empty.
"So, I'm out there in practice trying to make sure [and] show my coaches that I know what I'm doing and I'm ready to go and I can play."
Between a contract dispute and injuries, Stewart had a truncated rookie campaign that saw him play in eight games. Cincinnati's coaching staff knows this has been a difficult start to the season for Stewart, who entered the year with high expectations before the injury on the first day of training camp.
Stewart totaled a sack in the team's Week 2 win over the Houston Texans. But since then, he has played sparingly.
"I'm not going to be naïve and say missing [training] camp didn't affect me, but it definitely did," Stewart said. "It's a full month of work full of reps that I didn't have. So I understand that, and I understand the hesitancy to play me."
The former Texas A&M standout said the coaching staff wants him to play with confidence and decisiveness when he's on the field. In lieu of game snaps, Stewart has made playing with those attributes a focal point during midweek practices.
The lack of playing time has also raised eyebrows around the league ahead of this year's trade deadline. According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, a few teams have highlighted Stewart as a potential trade candidate.
However, Taylor appeared to shoot down the notion of trading any current players before the Nov. 10 deadline.
"It's a fun conversation for people," Taylor said. "We really like our guys."
On Wednesday, Bengals defensive coordinator Al Golden said he isn't discouraged with Stewart as everyone collectively eyes the next step in his development.
"He continues to get better," Golden said. "And when it's his turn, the important thing is that he doesn't leave the field again."