The Cincinnati Bengals made sure to attempt to beef up their defense in the 2025 NFL Draft, spending three of their first four picks on defensive players. Two of those three picks were spent on linebackers, which doesn’t exactly bode well for Germaine Pratt.
According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, “With two linebackers selected in the first four rounds, the Bengals could be bracing for life without Germaine Pratt, who could be cut. A trade has yet to materialize.”
The Bengals spent a third-round pick on Pratt in the 2019 NFL Draft and he impressed enough during his rookie contract that the team extended him following the 2022 season. He had a career-high in tackles a year ago with 143 but considering the Bengals used two of their top four picks on linebackers, Pratt’s time with the team could be nearing the end.
Because the Bengals’ desire to part ways with Pratt hasn’t exactly been a private matter, teams haven’t been interested in trading for him because they know he might be released and plan to just strike then. As Jay Morrison of Sports Illustrated wrote, “There is no scenario where Pratt plays for the Bengals in 2025 on his current contract – a three-year, $20.5 million deal he signed prior to the start of 2023.”
The Bengals planned for life after Pratt by adding Demetrius Knight in the second round and Barrett Carter in the fourth round of the draft. Knight could be someone who slides into a starting role if Pratt isn’t on the team and Logan Wilson is the other projected starter with Oren Burks as a nice depth piece.
Pratt once was the Bengals defender who always seemed to be in the right place at the right time and helped the team eke out wins. The sad reality though is that the team is going to have to make tough financial decisions and that means he might be playing for a different squad in 2025.
