Bengals cut ties with every-week starter amid Trey Hendrickson contract issues

The Cincinnati Bengals are having some money issues.

They gave Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins huge extensions this offseason, and now they're embroiled in a contract dispute with star pass rusher Trey Hendrickson.

All of that money talking has led to a release of a player who the Bengals must've decided they couldn't afford.

On Monday, ESPN's Ben Baby reported that Germaine Pratt has been let go by Cincinnati.

Pratt has played six seasons as a middle linebacker for the Bengals after they took him 72nd overall out of NC State in 2019.

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Out of 96 career games, Pratt has started 88 of them.

He has 616 tackles, averaging more than 100 per season.

Pratt also has seven interceptions, seven forced fumbles, five fumbles recovered and 3.5 sacks.

He'll be a nice summer pickup for a different team.

For the Bengals, it's a brutal move, because their already poor defense is now without one of its leaders.

Cincinnati has to get the Hendrickson deal done at this point or it'll all look even worse.

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