The Cincinnati Bengals officially moved on from a key defensive player on their most recent playoff teams, releasing linebacker Germaine Pratt on Monday, according to reports. It came after Pratt, 29, requested a trade earlier this offseason.
from www.nfl.com:
Germaine Pratt is receiving the change of scenery he wanted.
The Bengals are releasing the linebacker, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported on Monday, per sources.
Pratt requested a trade from the Bengals earlier this offseason following a difficult year for Cincinnati’s entire defense, which led to defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo’s firing. Despite racking up a team-best 143 tackles, Pratt also struggled in key spots, registering 20 missed tackles, according to Pro Football Focus.
Pratt arrived as a 2019 third-round pick who blossomed into a consistent starter over six seasons, but as he entered a contract year that would require him to adjust to a new coordinator, he felt it would be best if the Bengals traded him elsewhere. Instead, he’s hitting the open market before mandatory minicamp begins.
Cincinnati’s decision to release Pratt will save them $5.85 million in cap space for 2025, providing a slight financial incentive in what has been an expensive offseason for the Bengals. Meanwhile, the 29-year-old will enter free agency as a top-10 tackler in the NFL last season and should be expected to garner interest.
Don’t be surprised if his old DC convinces the Colts to pick up the phone.
from Sports Illustrated.com:
Jay Morrison
CINCINNATI – Germaine Pratt deserved better from the Cincinnati Bengals, but that just makes him a member of a club that is far from exclusive.
Jessie Bates, DJ Reader and Andrew Whitworth are just a few of the former players who will be waiting to greet Pratt at the door.
The Bengals finally released Pratt today, ending five months of inevitability.
Pratt’s play dropped off considerably in 2024 despite leading the team with 143 tackles. His missed tackles, poor angles and slower pursuit played a role in the overall defensive disaster that cost the Bengals a playoff berth and defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo his job.
With Pratt due to count $8.2 million against the salary cap in the final season of the three-year, $20.5 million extension he signed following the 2022 season, keeping an aging, slowing, declining linebacker never was in the plans.
But the Bengals waited another five months to stamp the transaction, costing Pratt a chance to find a new home in free agency.
You could make an argument for at least wanting to see how the draft played out, but the Bengals landed linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. in the second round and Barrett Carter in the fourth round.
Instead of cutting Pratt after that, the team relocated his locker, shoving it into a corner near the defensive backs to make room from Knight and Carter, the latter of whom is in Pratt’s former space.
Prior to the draft, the Bengals didn’t just cost Pratt in free agency. They cost themselves.
Their inability to get the Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins extensions done before the start of free agency blew up whatever plan might have been in place, resulting in them not addressing some obvious positions of need.
Cutting Pratt saves $5.85 million in cap space which could have been used to add more help in March.
Pratt requested a trade in February, and perhaps that’s why they strung him along for so long, hoping another team would have an injury at the linebacker position that would jolt them into pursuing a deal.
Pratt signed a one-year deal with the Raiders. Reportedly for $4.25M. That would be a bargain for Vegas.
Sounds like a good deal and Pratt is only 29 years old and he has some good years left in him, but not so sure about Jaire Alexander from Rocky River HS, down near Charlotte, and also from Louisville in college…Alexander has missed a whole a lot of time while he was with the Packers, and they also let him go earlier this week…Saw Alexander vs. Dudley HS around 8-10 years ago when his Rocky River team came to Dudley, to face the Panthers in the playoffs..