Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Germaine Pratt has requested a trade after the team’s failure to reach the playoffs for a second straight season.
NFL insider Ian Rapoport claims Pratt, who is a defensive captain for the Bengals, is seeking a move away following the dismissal of defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo at the end of the regular season.
The 28-year-old was believed to have been close with Anarumo, who was fired at the end of his sixth season in Cincinnati after fielding the NFL’s 25th ranked defense with 348.3 yards allowed per game.
The Bengals missed out on a playoff spot again in 2024 after going 9-8 and finishing third in the AFC North, and now Pratt appears to have had enough.
The former NC State college star, who finished with a career-high 143 tackles last term, is entering the final year of the three-year, $20million contract he signed after the 2022 season. He’s set to make close to $6m in 2025 with an $8m cap hit.
Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Germaine Pratt has requested a trade, according to reports
Pratt is seeking a move away following the dismissal of defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo
The 28-year-old defender finished his sixth season as a Bengal with a career-high 143 tackles
Pratt has just wrapped up his sixth season with Cincinnati, who selected him with the 72nd overall pick in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
He has only reached the postseason on two occasions with the team, including when they made it to the Super Bowl in the 2021 campaign.
The Bengals narrowly missed out on the Vince Lombardi Trophy in a 23-20 defeat to the LA Rams that year in Inglewood, California.
The following year Pratt helped them make it to the AFC Championship game again, only to suffer defeat against the Kansas City Chiefs.
During his six years at Paycor Stadium, the defender has registered 616 tackles, seven picks, as many forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries in in 96 appearances.
As well as his career-high 143 tackles, he also recorded two interceptions, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in 17 games (all starts) last season.
