Throughout the summer leading up to the regular season, we will go through the entire 2024 Cincinnati Bengals roster. Every single day until the season opener against the New England Patriots , we will break down a player on the roster including his background, contract status, and path towards making the team.
Today, we highlight a player who's already etched himself in franchise history. Linebacker Germaine Pratt is responsible for one of the Bengals' all-time most memorable plays, and he's done his best to add to that list over the past two years. He's now one of the longest tenured players in Cincinnati's defense.
Germaine Pratt
- Age: 28
- Year: 6th
- Position: Linebacker
- College: NC State
- Previous Teams: None
- Jersey Number: 57
Pratt was drafted by the Bengals with the 72nd overall pick in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He spent five years at NC State and played in four of them. He was recruited as a safety out of high school and spent his first two years in college at the position before transitioning to linebacker in 2016 as a redshirt sophomore. He missed that season due to a shoulder injury, but returned in 2017 as an active reserve who played 516 snaps despite not starting a single contest. He earned the starting weakside linebacker gig as a senior in 2018 and earned First Team All-ACC honors thanks to his conference-leading 9.5 tackles per game.
Following two draft picks spent on offense, the Bengals made Pratt the first defensive selection in the Zac Taylor era. Cincinnati's defense needed an injection of youth at linebacker, and the rookie Pratt logged 16 appearances and nine starts in his first season. He was solidified as a full-time starter in 2020, but much like his rookie season, the defense as a whole around Pratt was not ready to compete at a high level. Pratt experienced growing pains himself, but the club kept him on the field to start in 2021. That decision paid dividends immediately.
Pratt started the 2021 Super Bowl run with a game-turning fumble recovery in the Bengals' Week 1 home-opener, and he ended the team's final home game by securing an interception that won the Bengals' first playoff game in over three decades. His iconic moment has already been cemented in Cincinnati sports history, and he was just getting started. He's forced seven turnovers since, almost all of them coming in clutch situations, and put together his best season to date in 2022 with a career-high 99 tackles compared to just eight missed. His stripping the ball away from Travis Kelce in Week 13 set the Bengals up to beat the Kansas City Chiefs for what was the third consecutive meeting at the time.
It was a contract year to remember for Pratt, but the general vibe was he priced himself out of Cincinnati and would be on the lookout for a defense that would use him more on third down. It didn't take long for all of that to be put in the past when he re-signed for three years and $20.025 million on the second day of legal tampering in 2023. The Bengals didn't get the exact same Pratt from 2022 in 2023, but other issues were more noticeable and linebacker play as a whole took a dip. The belief is with better safety play behind them, Pratt and the second level of the Bengals' defense can play with more freedom, which will lead to more consistency.
Contract details
Pratt is in the second year of his three-year, $20.025 million contract. He will earn a base salary of $3.2 million for the 2024 season. He's already earned $1 million via a roster bonus and another $100,000 from a workout bonus. He can also earn up to $250,000 in per game roster bonuses. His cap number for the season will be $7,133,333 million.
Roster outlook
Whether or not Pratt's run from the 2021 postseason through 2022 was sustainable or not, he's locked in as a starter for at least this upcoming season. The Bengals could get out of his deal next offseason, but unless he takes a gigantic step backwards from six years worth of development, he's likely playing out the remainder of his contract.
Pratt has been at his best when the Bengals' defense has had quality personnel on all three levels. He's not much different from other starting-level linebackers in that regard. The Bengals addressed many of their weaknesses this offseason so Pratt and fellow starting backer Logan Wilson won't have to worry about explosive plays happening behind them as much.
The Bengals have relied on Pratt producing key plays for them over the past three years. He's made a habit out of doing so, and the Bengals will be counting on it again this year.
Projected role: Starting linebacker
Previous player breakdowns
Related: Bengals Roster Breakdown: Akeem Davis-Gaither remains a top depth piece for Cincinnati's defense
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