Shemar Stewart

Bengals’ Shemar Stewart Departs Final Day Of Minicamp

June 12th, 2025 at 10:32pm CST by Adam La Rose

Shemar Stewart has yet to take the field in spring practices, and he remains unsigned at this point. The first-round Bengals rookie had remained with the team up to this point, but that changed on Thursday.

Stewart departed the Bengals this morning, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. Team and player remain engaged in a stalemate stemming from certain clauses in his rookie contract. Stewart has yet to sign his pact, one which the Bengals are attempting to differentiate from that of recent Day 1 selections Myles Murphy and Amarius Mims.

Specifically, Cincinnati’s stance that a default at any point of the contract will automatically void the remainder of the pact has become a public point of contention in this situation. Stewart attended the first two days of minicamp while remaining sidelined, drawing praise from his teammates for taking a stand against the team’s proposed contract structure. With it becoming clear no resolution would be coming in the immediate future, Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer notes Stewart’s departure was aimed at not creating a further distraction.

Thursday marks the third and final day of minicamp and thus the last practice session before training camp next month. No major team meetings or other events will be missed as a result of Stewart’s absence (h/t Sports Illustrated’s Jay Morrison). The Texas A&M product’s attention will remain focused on trying to leverage a deal congruent with those Murphy and Mims received, although he has limited leverage in doing so.

Nonetheless, today’s news means both Stewart and fellow edge rusher Trey Hendrickson will have missed all on-field work during OTAs and minicamp. The latter is angling for an extension after posting a second straight 17.5-sack season. Hendrickson is owed $16MM in the final year of his deal (whereas the top of the EDGE market now sits at $40MM annually) and has threatened to hold out into the regular season absent an extension. Such a development would place increased importance on Stewart, but this year’s No. 17 pick has yet to take any reps so far.

“I think for all the rookies, you’d like them to be on the field,” head coach Zac Taylor said of the Stewart situation (via Pro Football Talks’ Myles Simmons). “But certainly, there’s things that happen over the course of an NFL career and this is one of them right now. So, he’s been in the meetings, he’s been positive that way. He’s been a good learner. And we look forward to getting him back on the field quickly.”

Taylor declined to offer any predictions on when an agreement will be struck with Stewart. Plenty of time remains until training camp, though, meaning this standoff could continue for at least another several weeks.

Shemar Stewart Attends Bengals Minicamp, Won’t Practice

June 10th, 2025 at 6:50pm CST by Ben Levine

As Shemar Stewart continues to engage in a unique contract dispute with the Bengals, the first-round rookie will not practice with his new squad. However, Stewart was in the building for the first day of mandatory minicamp.

According to Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com, the rookie defensive lineman was in attendance for the start of minicamp today, but he doesn’t intend to hit the practice field until he inks his rookie contract. The stare down has gone on for more than a month, as the player’s camp pushes against a clause that would “turn a default in any given year into a void of all remaining guarantees” (per Florio).

This is a new tactic from the Bengals front office, as recent Day 1 picks signed contracts that simply voided the guarantees for the year in which the default occurred. Cincinnati also apparently proposed a payment schedule that did not match that of Myles Murphy and Amarius Mims, the team’s first-round picks in 2023 and 2024. That issue seems to have been resolved.

This seems like a relatively minor detail that could be hammered out quickly, but the two sides continue to struggle to find common ground on the generally straight-forward rookie pact. Even Stewart admitted to reporters that he expected to be on the practice field by now.

“Very bad,” Stewart responded when asked how badly he wants to practice (via Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer). “I’ve been doing this for most of my whole life, then all of a sudden it’s gone over something very simple to fix. It’s kind of disappointing.”

As the rookie pushes back against a new precedent set by the Bengals front office, he has the support of the locker room. Stewart told reporters that his veteran teammates have told him he’s doing the right thing by pushing for a more traditional rookie contract (via Jay Morrison of BengalsTalk.com).

Stewart’s dispute with the organization comes as Trey Hendrickson is in a public showdown with the organization. The rookie pointed to his veteran teammate’s absence when addressing his own “hold-in.”

“We all agree Trey will be alright,” Stewart said (via Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports). “But technically he’s still 1% wrong for being under contract. In my case, I’m 100% right.”

Considering the uncertainty surrounding Hendrickson’s future in Cincy, the Bengals would surely want their first-round pick on the practice field sooner than later. Still, it sounds like neither side is inclined to blink, meaning this staring contest could continue for the foreseeable future.

Details Revealed Regarding Shemar Stewart-Bengals Contract Dispute

May 27th, 2025 at 7:25pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

TODAY, 7:25pm: As expected, Shemar Stewart didn’t participate in the first day of Bengals OTAs, per Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer. However, the rookie defensive lineman was in the building, and he appeared to be taking in the first practice from the sideline.

SATURDAY, 1:15pm: More details have emerged regarding the contract dispute between the Bengals and their first-round pick, Shemar Stewart, who has yet to sign his rookie deal.

Stewart has not participated in any on-field practices since being drafted, though he has attended team meetings. He sat out rookie minicamp and is poised to remain on the sidelines when OTAs kick off next week unless his demands are met.

Initial reports indicated that the timing of bonus payments were the source of the dispute. Cincinnati proposed a payment schedule that did not match that of Myles Murphy and Amarius Mims, the team’s first-round picks in 2023 and 2024. That issue seems to have been resolved, but the two sides still disagree on default language.

Specifically, the Bengals want to include a clause in Stewart’s contract “that causes a default in the current year to trigger a default in all remaining years,” per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. Essentially, if Stewart were to default in one year of his contract, the rest of his contract would automatically default, voiding the remaining money on his fully guaranteed rookie deal.

Mims does not have the same language in his contract, though he was taken with the 18th pick in 2024 and Stewart was drafted one spot earlier at No. 17 this year. The recently signed contracts of Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins don’t contain a similar default clause, either.

Defaults are rare in the NFL. They happen when a player breaches the terms of his contract, typically by sustaining an injury while participating in a prohibited activity or committing conduct detrimental to the team. Stewart certainly has no intention of triggering a default, but it remains a possibility against which he wants to protect himself.

But why refuse to participate at all over a relatively minor contract detail? Stewart could still sign his rookie waiver and get on the field, but he appears to be standing on principle and holding the Bengals to their contract precedent. Cincinnati has typically lagged behind the rest of the NFL when negotiating with players, particularly in terms of guaranteed money. Stewart is witnessing firsthand the struggle of fellow edge rusher Trey Hendrickson to reach a favorable agreement with the team and is sending a clear message that he will not accept a contract with unfavorable terms, now or in the future.

Stewart also has leverage in this situation. If Hendrickson refuses to budge, the Bengals could be without their best defensive player heading into the regular season. At that point, Stewart would be called upon to step up as a pass rusher and may struggle to produce if he misses valuable developmental time this summer. His profile as a raw athlete with unrefined technique suggests that Cincinnati has extra motivation to get him practicing as soon as possible.

Contract Dispute Ongoing Between Bengals, Shemar Stewart

May 20th, 2025 at 10:55am CST by Adam La Rose

Shemar Stewart sat out the Bengals’ rookie minicamp as a result of the fact he has yet to sign his initial NFL contract. The structure of the pact was at the heart of the issue, and that is still the case.

Stewart has attended meetings during voluntary offseason work, but Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports he has yet to participate in any on-field practices. Stewart’s aim is for his pact to match the language of the Bengals’ two most recent Day 1 selections. That affects matters like the timing of bonus payments, whereas the value of his base salary and signing bonus are determined by draft slot.

The Bengals selected Stewart 17th overall, adding an option to complement Trey Hendrickson in 2025 and potentially replace him as the team’s top edge rusher after that point. The Texas A&M product’s rookie deal will match that of right tackle Amarius Mims (the No. 18 pick in 2024) and fellow defensive end Myles Murphy (No. 28 in 2023) if his request is granted. Disputes similar to this one have not been entirely eliminated in the rookie wage scale era, but it is still notable this situation has resulted in an ongoing holdout.

Hendrickson, of course, is seeking a new arrangement of his own with one year remaining on his pact. The reigning NFL sack leader is angling for guarantees beyond 2025, a bridge the Bengals have not historically been willing to cross (with a small number of recent exceptions). Even if Hendrickson remains in the fold for the coming year and beyond, increased production in the pass rush department will be required on a defense needing to improve in several areas moving forward.

Stewart may not be in position to help in that regard right away after he totaled just 4.5 sacks in college. Still, the 6-5, 267-pounder’s draft stock was helped by his Combine performance and athletic profile, and over the long term he could grow into a key figure on defense for years to come. Stewart’s (on-field) development will not begin until his contract situation sees a resolution, however.

Trey Hendrickson Prepared To Hold Out Into Regular Season

May 15th, 2025 at 3:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

MAY 15: It is indeed safe to assume guarantees beyond the 2025 season are a key issue in this situation, ESPN’s Dan Graziano writes. The Bengals were willing to break with organizational tradition with Burrow, Chase and Higgins when they were 26 at signing, but whether or not that will be the case for Hendrickson at his age will be worth watching when (or if) talks resume.

MAY 14: The Bengals have developed an earned reputation as slow starters during Zac Taylor‘s time at the helm. This pattern has been a significant impediment to the team, one that began 0-3 last year and stood 0-2 to start the 2022 and ’23 seasons. With the team now having paid both its wide receiver standouts, more pressure will be on Taylor to have his crew ready to go when the season starts.

Trey Hendrickson‘s status suddenly factors into this equation. The Bengals’ top defensive player has gone public with his frustrations, with a Monday text from Taylor prompting a Tuesday grievance rundown. Hendrickson has officially threatened a holdout. Training camp holdouts have become more difficult to wage under the current CBA, leading to the hold-in tactic, but some players have bucked that trend and stayed away anyway.

CeeDee Lamb held out well into Cowboys camp last year, with Zack Martin doing the same in 2023. Trent Williams did the same, and teammate Nick Bosa held out in 2023 as well. All four of these Dallas- and San Francisco-based absences led to new contracts. Haason Reddick staged an unsuccessful holdout last year, eventually reporting to the Jets in late October and playing out the string.

The Chiefs went into the 2023 season with Chris Jones engaged in a holdout. After a Week 1 loss to the Lions, the Chiefs agreed to a temporary solution that brought the future Hall of Famer back into the fold. Kansas City then caved on a player-friendly deal for Jones two days before the 2024 free agency period began. Jones was 29 when he signed that monster Chiefs extension. By the time Hendrickson would be free agency-eligible, he will be 31. The All-Pro defensive end’s age represents a key component in his Bengals stalemate.

Few players have proven willing to pass on game checks to extend holdouts into the regular season. Le’Veon Bell famously did on the franchise tag in 2018, while Duane Brown (2017) and Vincent Jackson (2010) sat out lengthy stretches as well. It is still too early to predict Hendrickson will follow suit, but ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes some close to the disgruntled pass rusher believe his contract stance would lead to him skipping regular-season games — should Cincinnati not reward its ace sack artist before Week 1.

As part of a one-year, $21MM extension he signed in 2023, Hendrickson is due a $15.8MM base salary this season. This works out to just more than $920K in game checks. Teams regularly win bets on players being unwilling to pass on game checks, but Hendrickson’s only play against the Bengals would be to withhold services. He managed Defensive Player of the Year runner-up status on one of the league’s worst defenses last season. Removing Hendrickson from the mix would certainly threaten a Bengals team committed to complementing Joe Burrow better than it did in 2024. That will be an interesting storyline to follow.

Although the Bengals let Hendrickson seek a trade just before free agency, the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Kelsey Conway notes the team wants its All-Pro sack artist back in 2025. What is unclear is how much Cincy wants Hendrickson beyond this season. Contract structure represents the central hang-up here, Hendrickson said, as negotiations have paused. A structural issue would seemingly point to guarantees. The Bengals almost never authorize post-Year 1 salary guarantees, though they made exceptions for Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.

While the franchise has a history extending D-lineman in Hendrickson’s age range (via the 2018 Carlos Dunlap and Geno Atkins paydays), a March report pointed to hesitancy regarding the new edge rusher going rate. Hendrickson is not a candidate to eclipse Myles Garrett‘s $40MM-per-year number, but Maxx Crosby‘s $35.5MM-AAV accord — which settled in north of Bosa’s ($34MM per) — represents a lofty number as well.

As the Hendrickson saga keeps producing notable plotlines, the Bengals also saw first-round pick Shemar Stewart — their potential long-term Hendrickson replacement — sit out rookie minicamp due to his contract. Bonus structure kept Stewart off the field last weekend, per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. Players regularly participate in offseason work unsigned, as many first-rounders have yet to put pen to paper. Waivers protecting them are commonplace, but while the Bengals attempted to complete a Stewart deal early, nothing transpired.

First-round contracts (and now at least two second-round draft slots) bring fully guaranteed deals, but the percentage of Stewart’s money to be paid as a training camp roster bonus, per Florio, became an issue. That percentage checked in lower than last year’s No. 17 overall pick received, leading to the absence. First-round contract drama does not rival what took place before the rookie-scale system debuted in 2011, but the Bengals have brought at least a hiccup during Stewart’s first weeks in town. And it has come amid the higher-stakes Hendrickson dispute.

Bengals Draft DE Shemar Stewart At No. 17

April 24th, 2025 at 9:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

As uncertainty looms over the Trey Hendrickson situation, the Bengals have added to their edge rush in the first round. Cincinnati has selected Texas A&M defensive end Shemar Stewart with the 17th pick. Stewart will be the latest experiment we see of a player with more potential than production at the collegiate level, and the Bengals need that potential to pan out.

A 25th-ranked defense in Cincinnati, highlighted by a pass rush that finished with the eighth-fewest sacks in the league last year, was a huge reason that the team missed the playoffs while players like Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase has all-time great seasons. As Hendrickson’s future remains up in the air, Stewart’s development becomes a crucial component of the team’s success in the future.

Stewart, a former five-star recruit, failed to ever live up to his recruiting status in College Station. Over his three years at Texas A&M, Stewart didn’t become a full-time starter until 2024. Despite leading the Aggies in pressures (39) last year, he struggled to finish throughout his career, staying off the stat sheet for the most part. He totaled only 4.5 sacks in his three seasons of play, adding only 11.0 tackles for loss over that time.

New defensive coordinator Al Golden will need to tap into the potential Stewart has stored and will need to so quickly. Stewart will be expected to line up across from Hendrickson, for now. Should Hendrickson depart in any sort of fashion, Stewart will be expected to lead the edge rushing group. He’ll need to display that five-star, first-round potential as soon as possible in Cincinnati.

Ely Allen contributed to this post.

Falcons Expected To Take Edge Rusher In 1st Round

April 24th, 2025 at 5:33pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

TODAY, 5:33pm: While the Falcons have interest in adding some pass-rush help, they may end up pivoting if the right trade comes around. According to Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda.com, the Falcons are willing to move down from No. 15 if they receive the “right offer.” The Falcons haven’t made a first-round trade since 2019, when they acquired No. 31 from the Rams in a move that landed them Kaleb McGary.

TODAY, 1:15pm: The Falcons are widely expected to target an edge rusher in the first round of tonight’s draft, with Tennessee’s James Pearce and Marshall’s Mike Green frequently listed as potential fits.

Atlanta swapped out veteran edge defenders this offseason, signing Leonard Floyd after letting Matt Judon hit free agency. Floyd is entering his age-33 season, so the team is likely looking for a long-term option to pair with 2022 second-rounder Arnold Ebiketie.

Pearce and Green – two of the class’ most athletic, productive edge rushers – have both been linked to the Falcons, per Diana Russini of The Athletic. Pearce had 17.5 sacks across his last two seasons at Tennessee and led all edge rushers with a 4.47-second 40-yard dash at the Combine. Green had 22.5 sacks in 2024 alone and posted elite agility numbers at his pro day.

However, both players have character flags that the team will need to evaluate, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. Green’s flags stem from multiple accusations of sexual assault in his past, which might take him off some teams’ boards altogether. More nebulous concerns about Pearce are connected to his maturity, so a team with confidence in their coaching staff and locker room culture may believe they can get the most out of him.

Both Pearce and Green were listed as primary options for the Falcons by ESPN’s Matt Miller, as well as Texas A&M’s Shemar Stewart. Stewart has an even more appealing athletic profile than Pearce and Green, but lacked the same production in college. He has an NFL-ready frame with excellent explosiveness, but recorded only 1.5 sacks in each of his last three seasons at College Station.

The Falcons’ consistent links to Pearce and Green suggest they will prioritize the college production of Pearce and Green over Stewart’s upside. If none of the three are available, Atlanta may pivot to Georgia’s Mykel Williams, who is widely thought to be the next-best edge rusher in the class.

Ravens Draft Rumors: Edge, Kicker, DL, CB, S

April 18th, 2025 at 9:59pm CST by Ely Allen

The Ravens are well-known for their draft approach of taking the best players available regardless of position, though they’re not above taking a player at a position of need if they believe it’s at a good value. That being said, Tony Pauline of sportskeeda claimed today that Baltimore is “believed to be in the market for an edge rusher in the first round.”

The Ravens aren’t likely to reach for a player at a position at which they’ve already spent a 2024 third-round pick, 2023 fourth-round pick, 2022 second-round pick, and 2021 first-round pick. Because of this, I would think that this would only be true if a top-ranked pass rusher falls to them in the back half of the first round.

Obviously, a player like Abdul Carter isn’t expected to be around by the 27th overall pick. After that, anything can happen, and while it might not be likely, it wouldn’t be a surprise if players like Shemar Stewart, Mike Green, or Mykel Williams were around that late. Options like Donovan Ezeiruaku and James Pearce are expected to be around in that range, and Baltimore could certainly pursue them, but only if they perceive them to be one of the top players available.

Here are notes on a few other positions of focus for Baltimore when next week’s draft occurs:

Ongoing legal issues with future Hall of Fame kicker Justin Tucker have the Ravens in an uncertain position on special teams for the first time since Tucker signed as an undrafted free agent out of Texas in 2012. As a result, Baltimore has been doing its research on kickers in this year’s draft class and could draft a kicker for the first time in their franchise’s history, per ESPN’s Jamison Hensley. The Ravens are the only team not to have drafted a kicker in the common draft era, and general manager Eric DeCosta admits “there’s no blueprint for finding a kicker.” If they find the right kicker at the right time, though, we could see the selection made. Two options on the table could be in-state rivals Andres Borregales out of Miami (FL) and Ryan Fitzgerald out of Florida State.
Following the retirement of Michael Pierce and the coming contract year for Travis Jones, defensive tackle is a position of need for Baltimore in this year’s draft. DeCosta confirmed as much, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, calling the position a priority. DeCosta called this year’s class fairly deep at defensive line and claimed “there’s an opportunity for (them) to get better” at the position.
Another position that DeCosta singled out was cornerback. After losing Brandon Stephens and Tre’Davious White to free agency, the team added Chidobe Awuzie. They also roster recent draft picks Jalyn Armour-Davis and T.J. Tampa as depth pieces. While DeCosta didn’t guarantee anything, he told the media that “it’s a pretty safe bet that the Ravens will be drafting at least one cornerback next week,” per Zrebiec. The team is likely to start Nate Wiggins and Awuzie on the outside with Marlon Humphrey manning the nickelback role, so they could look for an upgrade over Awuzie, but at the very least, adding depth is a necessity.
DeCosta didn’t mince words about the safety position either, per Zrebiec. Despite being “fairly confident” that Ar’Darius Washington will return after presumably signing his exclusive rights free agent tender, DeCosta said that it was “more than likely” that Baltimore would still add a safety in the draft, as well. Washington and Kyle Hamilton would return as starters from last year, but the only depth behind them currently are two rookies from last year, Sanoussi Kane (seventh round) and Beau Brade (undrafted).

Patriots Pursued Maxx Crosby, Myles Garrett; Could Select Edge Rusher At No. 4

April 16th, 2025 at 7:08pm CST by Ben Levine

The Patriots have been active reworking their pass-rush depth this offseason, so it shouldn’t be surprising that the front office pursued two of the biggest names on the market. According to Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda.com, the Patriots “had desires” to trade for Maxx Crosby and Myles Garrett.

New England’s pursuit of the two extension/trade candidates surely preceded their free agent spending spree. The Raiders and Browns were rightfully correct in waiting out the trade winds, as both teams eventually inked their star pass rushers to lucrative extensions. That forced the Patriots to pivot.

Considering the Patriots’ free agency commitments, we can only assume the Eliot Wolf-led front office would have been just as willing to hand out an extension to either player. The Patriots landed interior disruptor Milton Williams on a four-year, $104MM, and they added edge rusher Harold Landry III on a three-year, $43.5MM pact. With other additions like Robert Spillane and K’Lavon Chaisson, plus holdovers like Christian Barmore and Keion White, there’s hope Mike Vrabel will guide an improved front-seven in 2025.

Despite the team’s many defensive acquisitions, the Patriots may not be done adding. There’s been an assumption that the team would select an offensive tackle with the fourth-overall pick. However, Pauline says the team’s one alternative option could be an edge rusher, and that’s with the assumption that Abdul Carter will already be off the board.

Shemar Stewart, Mykel Williams, and Mike Green are regarded as consensus top-20 picks, but all three edge-rush prospects would be considered a reach at No. 4. Considering the uncertainty behind the top-three picks, Jalon Walker could be an option for New England, although the Georgia product seems better positioned to slide in as an inside LB.

Our own Ely Allen projects the Patriots to select LSU offensive tackle Will Campbell with the No. 4 pick, a popular sentiment across the industry. However, the Patriots could pull off the first wrinkle of the draft if they add to an already-remade defense.

DL Draft Visits: Stewart, Ezeiruaku, Pearce, Nolen

April 16th, 2025 at 4:49pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Texas A&M defensive lineman Shemar Stewart has visited several teams ahead of next week’s draft, in which he is expected to be selected in the first round.

Stewart started on the East Coast, visiting the Patriots last Thursday,per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, before traveling to Pittsburgh on Friday, per Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Stewart then visited the Bills on Saturday and the Bears on Monday (via Ryan Fowler of The Draft Network) ahead of his final pre-draft visit to San Francisco today (via NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero).

The flurry of visits make it clear that Stewart is likely to be a first-round pick and may even break into the top 10. His 6-foot-5, 267-pound frame offers elite athleticism, as evidenced by his superb testing numbers at the NFL Combine. However, he struggled to translate that into production in college with just 4.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss across his last three seasons in College Station.

Teams will have to weight Stewart’s untapped physical potential with his need to develop his pass-rush moves, play recognition, and overall technique that may limit his instant impact in the NFL.

Boston College edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku has also met with a number of teams as he pushes for a first-round draft billing. He visited the Panthers last week, and on Monday, he went to the Commanders’ facility in Ashburn, Virginia, according to SB Nation’s Ken Johannesen. Ezeiruaku didn’t reach the same eye-popping testing numbers as Stewart, but he does bring a refined array of pass-rush moves that helped him rack up 16.5 sacks in 2024.
Like Stewart, Tennessee edge rusher James Pearce is visiting the 49ers today, according to Rapoport. He already visited the Bengals, Cardinals, Colts, Cowboys, Falcons, and Saints, suggesting that a dip in his public draft stock may not reflect his value to NFL teams. Pearce led the SEC with 10.0 sacks in 2023, but took a slight step back in 2024, which moved his projected draft slot later in the first round.
Ole Miss defensive tackle Walter Nolen added the Cardinals and the Packers to a list of visits that already included the Bengals, Cowboys, 49ers, and Panthers. He visited Arizona on April 7, according to Rapoport, and completed a trip to Green Bay earlier this week, per Matt Schneidman of The Athletic. Nolen is believed to have a wide range of evaluations across the league, so teams like the Bengals, Cardinals, and Packers may view him as a mid- to late-first round pick while the Cowboys, 49ers, and Panthers may be hoping he falls to their selections early in the second round.

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