Cincy Jungle
Regardless of Pratt’s performance in 2024, he leaves a big void in the Bengals linebacker position.
Germaine Pratt being released by the Cincinnati Bengals isn’t a surprise. What’s surprising is how long it took for the Bengals to ultimately release him.
Pratt requested a trade months ago, and the Bengals released him just one day before Mandatory Minicamp starts on Tuesday.
Even though Pratt looked like he was struggling last season, he should be remembered for his big-play mentality in the biggest games over his seasons in Cincinnati. Pratt’s interception in the playoff game against the Raiders is one of the best moments in my life as a Bengals fan. I’ll never forget the sound of 66,277 fans simultaneously erupting at Paul Brown Stadium when Pratt’s interception broke the Cincinnati Sports Curse.
In addition, Pratt also had a fumble recovery against Minnesota in Week 1 of the Bengals Super Bowl season, and the Bengals turned that fumble recovery into a game-winning drive. It was Pratt who ripped the ball out of Travis Kelce’s hands in the fourth quarter against the Chiefs in Week 13 of the 2022 season, with the Bengals turning that fumble into a game-winning touchdown.
Even last season, Pratt picked off Broncos quarterback Bo Nix on 3rd & 14 late in the fourth quarter that turned into Joe Burrow’s go-ahead touchdown on a QB sneak when he celebrated by doing the griddy.
Needless to say, Pratt is leaving a void in the Bengals linebacker room. Let’s look at what the Bengals linebacker room looks like with Pratt being released on Monday.
Burks was a free-agent signing on March 10th, the first day of the legal tampering period in the NFL. He comes from the Philadelphia Eagles, who won Super Bowl LIX this past February. An eight-year veteran who stands at 6-foot-3 and 233 pounds., Burks had 41 combined tackles and two forced fumbles in 17 games in the regular season last year. Then, in the Playoffs and Super Bowl, Burks had 25 tackles, two forced fumbles, and a sack. Burks’s veteran presence will be a huge depth piece in the Bengals linebacker room.
Carter was the Bengals fourth-round draft pick this past April at 119th overall. He played in 52 games and started 40 in his four seasons at Clemson, where he was a finalist for the Butkus Award - given to the best linebacker in college football - in 2024. The biggest thing about Carter is that he was a captain on last year’s Clemson team, and Zac Taylor loves drafting players and signing free agents who have previously been captains.
Giles-Harris has been in the NFL since 2019, and he has played four different teams in that time span. He played in just five games last year while playing for both the Patriots and Jaguars, making just a combined four tackles. His career high in tackles was 20 with...
