Cincinnati Bengals first-round rookie Shemar Stewart skipped the final day of mandatory minicamp after sounding off on his lingering contract dispute earlier this week.
"He wasn't here today. So we just focus on the guys that were here," coach Zac Taylor said after practice on Thursday. "He and I have had private conversations."
Taylor said he had "good communication" with Stewart before the pass rusher left.
The Texas A&M edge is one of four first-round draft picks unsigned and is not subject to fines for missing Thursday's session. The crux of the dispute is the Bengals' desire to set a new precedent with first-round rookie contracts, which would allow the club to void future guarantees.
"There's a first for everything," Taylor said of the contract squabble. "Every year, you kinda learn something new in this position, and this is just one of those things that the players have managed really well. We keep the team moving, and when he jumps on the field, that'll be great for our team."
On Tuesday, Stewart called out the club for wanting to "win arguments (more) than winning more games."
Taylor was asked about those comments on Thursday.
"I think there's education that happens with all the rookies that we do our best to educate them," he said. "No. 1, we want to protect our team and our locker room. I understand when there's some frustration there. That's how he chose to do it. That's his prerogative. We look forward to getting him back in the fold."
Stewart previously participated in meetings this offseason but hasn't done any on-field work with the club. Stewart said on Tuesday that he won't practice until he has a contract. Taylor sounded confident the missed time wouldn't stunt the pass rusher's growth.
"I think for all the rookies, you'd like them to be out on the field, but certainly, there's things that happen over the course of an NFL career, and this is one of them right now," he said. "He's been in the meetings, he's been positive in that way. He's been learning. He's a good learner. We look forward to getting him back on the field quickly."
Taylor added that he wasn't going to "make any predictions" as to whether the contract dispute with the first-round pick would blow over by training camp.
