The Bengals on Tuesday announced the jersey numbers for their 2026 new additions, and Shemar Stewart is moving from No. 97 to No. 94. Dexter Lawrence will wear No. 97 after keeping the number he wore for seven seasons with the New York Giants.
The change gives Stewart a new look as Cincinnati opens a fresh offseason phase, with players having returned to Paycor Stadium on Monday, April 20, 2026, for the start of Offseason Workouts. Stewart wore No. 4 at Texas A&M and then No. 97 as a 2025 first-round pick, but that number now belongs to Lawrence.
The Bengals' announcement included jersey-number changes for new additions and four returning players, a routine move that still drew attention because of Stewart's switch. Lawrence arrives as a three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle, and the number he carried for years in New York now becomes part of Cincinnati's offseason picture.
For Stewart, the change is simple and visible: after one season in No. 97, he is back in a number closer to the one he wore in college, while the Bengals continue sorting out the details of 2026 before the work on the field gets serious.
