Bengals reporter lashes out at Cincinnati for 'ridiculous charade' with Germaine Pratt

The writing was on the wall for quite some time now that linebacker Germaine Pratt wouldn't be back with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2025.

Pratt, who was the team's defensive captain, had arguably the worst season of his career in 2024 and was a major liability on a bad Bengals defense, which led to Cincinnati wanting to part ways.

While Pratt reportedly requested a trade, no deal ever materialized and now Cincy is set to release him on Monday, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. The move gives Cincinnati a dead-cap hit of $2.3 million but also saves $5.8 million.

As previously mentioned, it was plainly obvious that the Bengals were going to part with Pratt at some point, which begs the question: why did it take so long?

That's something The Athletic's Paul Dehner Jr., who is a Bengals beat writer, pondered aloud while also ripping the team for taking so long.

"A move that was inevitable six months ago finally happens," Dehner Jr. wrote. "What a ridiculous charade that it took this long. Pratt is responsible for one of the most memorable moments in team history and was a centerpiece of great, championship defenses. He deserved better on the way out."

It's certainly fair to question the Bengals' approach here. After all, they've put the veteran linebacker in a tough spot by releasing him this late in the offseason when teams have already made their free-agent signings and don't have as much money.

On the flip side, it's possible the Bengals were working hard to trade Pratt instead of cutting him loose for nothing, which could explain why they waited.

That said, doing that certainly wasn't in the best interest of a player who meant a lot to the franchise over six years.

The Bengals have had a weird offseason when it comes to taking care of their own players. We've seen them do a great job with Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase, and terrible jobs with Trey Hendrickson and now Pratt.