How the Bengals moved past a moment of frustration for Germaine Pratt

[Arkansas Bengal]

Charlie Goldsmith, Cincinnati Enquirer

Thu, Nov 2, 2023 at 9:00 PM CDT·7 min read

Linebacker Germaine Pratt’s final moment in a Cincinnati Bengals uniform could have been on his walk back to the locker room following last year’s AFC Championship Game. After defensive end Joseph Ossai committed an unnecessary roughness penalty that set up a walk-off field goal, Pratt shouted, “This is my (expletive) last year. Why the (expletive) would you touch the quarterback?"

 

Pratt was in a contract year last season. On most teams, the door would have closed on a return. The next day, Pratt apologized to the team. Six weeks later, the Bengals re-signed him to a three-year deal. Last Sunday, Pratt made one of the most impressive plays that quarterback Joe Burrow said he had ever seen. Facing the San Francisco 49ers, Pratt tipped a pass to himself in the red zone and turned a potential touchdown into a takeaway.
 

The Bengals are thrilled to have Pratt back, and Pratt said that it’s an honor to still be a Bengal.

 

“Going back and being a man, you know you messed up,” Pratt said. “I should have been with Joseph and making sure he’s good. Everyone makes mistakes. I should have been more of a caring teammate who was there for him. Playing in the NFL, you’re usually playing for yourself. Here, you’re playing for your brother.”

 

Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Germaine Pratt re-signed with the Bengals in March and has remained a key piece of their defense in 2023.

Over the last three years, few players on the Bengals’ defense have made as many memorable plays as Pratt. In 2021, he forced a fumble in overtime against the Minnesota Vikings and picked off Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr at the goal line in the playoffs.

 

Last year, Pratt stripped Kansas City Chiefstight end Travis Kelce for a fumble on the biggest play of the game, and he stood up Baltimore Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntleyon defensive end Sam Hubbard’s “Fumble in the Jungle.”

 

On Sunday against the 49ers, Pratt tracked 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy outside of the pocket, saw where he was throwing the ball and showcased his instincts as he reeled in the interception. He took away a potential game-tying touchdown and gave the Bengals the chance to pull away.

 

Pratt’s reputation inside Paycor Stadium is for making those clutch plays.

 

“Germaine is one of the smartest football players I’ve been around,” Bengals cornerback Mike Hilton said. “He’s out there calling out plays and being really aggressive. He sets the tone for the defense, and we follow his lead.”

 

Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Germaine Pratt made one of the best interceptions that Joe Burrow said he had ever seen when the Bengals beat the 49ers.

Last year, in the final season of his rookie contract, Pratt took his game to another level by becoming one of the best linebackers in coverage in the NFL. Earlier in his career, quarterbacks picked on Pratt and targeted the player he was covering. In 2022, Pratt won those matchups when he was tested.

 

When that changed, Pratt knew that he was setting himself up well for his upcoming free agency.
 

“I knew I wanted to be back here in 2023,” Pratt said. “Me and (head coach Zac Taylor) talked a bit beforehand. During the season, he said, ‘We’d try to get you back, that’s our plan.’ ”

 

"He's a core part of this team, and he has been for five years now,” Taylor said on Wednesday. “He's a guy that everybody loves and everybody loves being around. He has made so many key plays. He's so consistent. He's so smart. That was a big deal making sure he came back. I know he wanted to come back. We wanted him back. That's one of those things you just have to make work, and we did."

In NFL free agency, you never really know what the future holds until the deal is signed. The Bengals also had interest in bringing back safety Vonn Bell, tight end Hayden Hurst and running back Samaje Perine.

 

The first week of free agency didn’t go the way the Bengals expected. They lost Bell, Hurst and Perine, and they entered the market for left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. There were several moving pieces as the Bengals worked to replace three players who could have been starters.
 

In the midst of that roster turnover, Pratt agreed to a new deal with the Bengals.

 

“I left money on the table, but it was worth it because I knew what we were doing as a team,” Pratt said. “Me and Zac were texting at 5:30 in the morning. I already knew what I wanted to do. I knew the smart thing was to come back.”

 

Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Germaine Pratt said that he always knew that he wanted to return to the Bengals when he hit free agency last offseason.

The way the 2022 season ended still sticks with Pratt. The Bengals’ defense was nearly flawless in the second half as it forced four stops on six drives against the Chiefs and quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

 

On the Chiefs’ final drive, the Bengals were one play away from sending the game to overtime. The Bengals’ defense needed the type of moment that it had delivered all season. This time, the Bengals came up short.
 

Everyone was upset by the way it ended, and Pratt got caught up in the moment on his way back to the locker room.

 

“In the moment, I knew it was the last moment together for the team we had,” Pratt said. “We would have won the Super Bowl. The guys we had in the locker room with expiring contracts, we knew some people weren’t going to stay here. I knew Jessie Bateswasn’t going to be back and we weren’t going to pay him. Key leaders on the defense, core guys who had been here four or five years, I knew weren’t going to be here.”

 

Pratt apologized to the team the next day. When defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo interviewed for the Arizona Cardinals’ head coaching job during the offseason, he used this moment as an example to show the culture the Bengals had built.

 

Nine months later, Pratt is known as one of the leaders of the Bengals’ defense. The Bengals have moved past the moment of frustration that could have marked the end of Pratt’s tenure with the team.
 

“I don’t think anyone in the locker room remembers that because we know who Germaine is on the field,” Bengals defensive end Sam Hubbard said. “He’s all about the team and the defense being successful. We know how much it means to him because of his preparation and how hard he plays.”

 

Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Germaine Pratt has 49 tackles, two picks and a forced fumble through seven games this season.

“That’s not who Pratt was,” Hilton said. “Obviously, emotions run high. When that happened, we knew it would just take a little time. He apologized the next day. That’s what we expect. It showed who he is as a teammate. He doesn’t want to put himself over anyone. You could really tell that he felt bad about the way it went down. Seeing his growth over the last nine months shows how much he cares about this team.”

 

The 2023 Bengals’ defense wouldn’t be what it is without Pratt. Linebacker Logan Wilsonsaid, “He has been more of a leader.” Through the first seven games of the season, Pratt has 49 tackles, two picks, a forced fumble and a sack. In Week 5 against the Arizona Cardinals, Pratt sealed a win late in the fourth quarter by making a diving interception on a tipped pass. His pick against Purdy was even more impressive.
 

The linebacking tandem of Wilson and Pratt has been the biggest strength of the Bengals’ defense. Taylor said that he’d take that duo over any other linebackers in the NFL, and Pratt wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

“Here, you’re playing with people you genuinely care about,” Pratt said. “When that happens, you’re not going to want to let them down. You lift each other up. When we make a big play, everyone celebrates. We all storm into the end zone because everybody wants to be in the dance.”
 

 

https://sports.yahoo.com/bengals-moved-past-moment-frustration-020008799.html

 

 

[gupps]

Pratt (and Wilson) have both earned their extensions this year. Very happy for both.

[PatternMaster]

Glad to see Pratt man up, admit his mistake, apologize, and grow into a true team leader after last year's playoff loss. The Bengals are a stronger team that is battle-tested and knows what it takes to win it all, I think this is the year they bring that trophy back to Cincinnati. 

[Dautcom08]

I loved reading this quote.

 

“Going back and being a man, you know you messed up,” Pratt said. “I should have been with Joseph and making sure he’s good. Everyone makes mistakes. I should have been more of a caring teammate who was there for him. Playing in the NFL, you’re usually playing for yourself. Here, you’re playing for your brother.”

[Jamie_B]

1 hour ago, Dautcom08 said:

I loved reading this quote.

 

“Going back and being a man, you know you messed up,” Pratt said. “I should have been with Joseph and making sure he’s good. Everyone makes mistakes. I should have been more of a caring teammate who was there for him. Playing in the NFL, you’re usually playing for yourself. Here, you’re playing for your brother.”

 

 

Yeah that was an awesome read. It's a complete culture shift, and it makes it easy to root for guys like that.

[Cricket]

IMO, the only thing “missing” from the article was kinfolk about any subsequent encounters between Pratt and Ossai.  Apologizing to the team is one thing…what did he say to Ossai?  Did he buy him dinner?  Are they good friends now?  Etc.  I would like to hear that those two have patched things up.

[IKOTA]

Pratt is the MVP of the defense. Play after play, game after game. The little things he does that at times don’t show up on a stat sheet are nothing short of amazing. The instincts of Vontaze Burfict, with the discipline of Takeo Spikes. Definitely a favorite on defense along with CTB, Logan, Reader, Hendrickson, Awuzie. Damn that’s a lot of favorites lol 

[IKOTA]

On 11/3/2023 at 10:12 PM, Cricket said:

IMO, the only thing “missing” from the article was kinfolk about any subsequent encounters between Pratt and Ossai.  Apologizing to the team is one thing…what did he say to Ossai?  Did he buy him dinner?  Are they good friends now?  Etc.  I would like to hear that those two have patched things up.

All that is none of your business. 

[-GoBengals-]

On 11/7/2023 at 12:25 PM, IKOTA said:

All that is none of your business. 

 

 

lmao

 

he didnt get insane out of line and insinuate somones wife was attractive or anything...

 

this whole article is none of our business...

 

nothing about what goes on in a billion dollar organization is our business..

 

what kind of response is this.

[|BlackJesus|]

How Pratt had the accuracy to punch this out in the split second as Kincaid was upside down ... Amazing 

 

[IKOTA]

5 hours ago, GoBengals said:

 

 

lmao

 

he didnt get insane out of line and insinuate somones wife was attractive or anything...

 

this whole article is none of our business...

 

nothing about what goes on in a billion dollar organization is our business..

 

what kind of response is this.

All that is none of our business. That better? 

[claptonrocks]

1 hour ago, IKOTA said:

All that is none of our business. That better? 

All of this is hilarious...😎