Germaine Pratt, a fourth-year linebacker, and the Cincinnati Bengals agree to terms on a new contract. Pratt has spent the entirety of his career to this point with the Cincinnati Bengals, and will for the next three years.
The #Bengals are re-signing LB Germaine Pratt to a three-year, $21 million deal, per source. He gets $10.35M in Year 1 and $15.15M over two years. He’s started 54 career games and now stays in Cincinnati.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 13, 2023
Germaine Pratt, Cincinnati Bengals, Agree to Contract
The Bengals drafted Pratt out of North Carolina State 72nd overall in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft. As a rookie, Pratt appeared in all 16 games, making nine starts with 76 total tackles. Amongst the team’s linebackers, he finished second in tackles. By the time 2020 rolled around, Pratt continued his upward trajectory. He started 15 of 16 games with 89 tackles (also second amongst linebackers) and improved in coverage as well.
Pratt began to come into his own in his third year. Then, he amassed a career-high 91 tackles, got in on his first career half sack in Week 15, forced two fumbles, recovered two fumbles, and hauled in his first career interception off of Mike White in Week 8. “Playoff P” showed up in the Bengals quest for the Super Bowl where he ended the Wild Card game with an interception, clinching the Bengals first playoff win in over three decades.
Prior to the 2022 season, it was reported that Pratt wanted to be utilized as a three-down linebacker but the Bengals had not seen him as such. However, with his play, it was hard to keep him off of the field. Pratt earned career-best in tackles with 99, sacks with one, and interceptions with two. In the playoffs, he continued his “Playoff P” play, contributing 20 tackles and three pass breakups in three games. Pratt was in on the pivotal play in the Wild Card. He helped Logan Wilson stand up Tyler Huntley and strip him of the ball, which Sam Hubbard returned for the game-winning touchdown.
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