The Cincinnati Bengals must make a decision on linebacker Germaine Pratt's future sooner rather than later. The veteran defender requested a trade earlier in the offseason, as he is entering the final year of his deal, and Cincinnati is likely reluctant to give him another contract as his play has declined over the last few years.
Pratt demanded a trade back in February, and he's still on the roster in May. There likely isn't much of a trade market for the 29-year-old, leading many to believe that he could be a potential cap casualty.
The Athletic's Paul Dehner Jr. believes the Bengals will eventually cut Pratt with no trade partner in sight.
"Speaking of gone, it shouldn’t be long until the Bengals release 2024 captain Pratt and save the $5.6 million against the cap," Dehner Jr. wrote.
Though Dehner Jr. expects Pratt to be cut, a fan on X with the username CoachMinich believes the starting linebacker could be restructured rather than cut. This seemed like just a normal post of a fan expressing their opinion, but it has now become a topic of focus because Pratt responded to the post with a cryptic response.
Pratt used the sleeping emoji to respond to the post suggesting that his contract could be restructured.
💤
— Germaine Pratt (@GermainePratt7) May 27, 2025
It seems that Pratt is frustrated with the lack of movement in his situation in Cincinnati. It's clear that the Bengals are already preparing for life without the NC State standout, as they used two draft picks in the first four rounds on linebackers in the 2025 NFL Draft.
We'll see what happens with Pratt, but it looks like he isn't happy in Cincinnati.
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