Shemar Stewart practiced Wednesday for the first time since being carted off with a left knee injury. The Bengals defensive end said the injury made him think it was over. "I thought it was over," he said.
Stewart remains on track for Cincinnati's Week 1 opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Yahoo Sports reports he continues to progress toward a return. Wednesday's practice was his first since the injury, a meaningful checkpoint for a player who briefly feared the worst.
The next checkpoint comes in the days before the game. A player carted off with a knee injury doesn't go straight from one practice to a full workload. The Bengals will want to see how Stewart responds to heavier reps and live contact before declaring him active. His return to practice is the first hurdle; clearing a full week is the second.
Stewart's return matters for Cincinnati's defensive front. He gives the Bengals another edge defender for the opener. But the team hasn't said he will start or play a full complement of snaps. The reporting says he is progressing, not that he is cleared.
That distinction shapes the plan. If Stewart is active, expect him to work in as a rotational rusher. If the knee tightens during the week, the Bengals can turn to the depth they used in his absence. The safest read is that Cincinnati wants him available on Sunday but won't force an oversized role because it's Week 1.
The key number isn't his practice reps. It's whether he's on the field when the Bengals face the Buccaneers. Wednesday suggests he's moving that way. The Bengals' pass rush is better positioned now than it was a week ago, and Stewart's own words make clear how much this return means to him.