Germaine Pratt

Germaine Pratt's Biography

Germaine Pratt is an accomplished American professional football player who was born on May 21, 1996. He has been impactful as a linebacker for the Cincinnati Bengals, one of the prominent teams that are part of the National Football League (NFL). His journey began when he spent his college years playing football at North Carolina State University (NC State) before being drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2019.

High Point Central High School in North Carolina was where Pratt honed his football skills while growing up. He showed sufficient promise which led to him committing to further his football career at North Carolina State University. Pratt had a remarkable stint at NC State, playing for them from 2014 to 2018. During this time, he secured an impressive tally of 235 tackles, six sacks, four interceptions, and a touchdown.

Coming to his professional career, the 2019 NFL Draft was a significant turn of events for Pratt. He was the 72nd overall pick, chosen in the third round by the Cincinnati Bengals. He was the eighth linebacker to be drafted that year. Pratt entered a long-term contract with the Bengals on June 27, 2019, which was a four-year deal worth around $4.08 million, inclusive of a signing bonus of $1.05 million.

In his early professional career, Pratt showed his mettle against Hardy Nickerson, Malik Jefferson, Deshaun Davis, and Noah Dawkins during training camp. The competition determined who would take up the role of the Bengals’ primary backup linebacker. Pratt managed to snag this role confidently and was placed behind starters Preston Brown, Nick Vigil, and Jordan Evans on the season opener depth chart.

Pratt’s consistent display of talent earned him his first career start and he ended up recording five combined tackles during a match in Week 6 against the Baltimore Ravens. By Week 10, he replaced Brown to start at middle linebacker, making four combined tackles. When Preston Brown was waived by the Bengals in November 2019, Pratt continued as the starter for the rest of the season. Week 16 saw him making a season-high 11 combined tackles. By the end of his rookie year, Pratt had made in total 76 combined tackles in 16 games and nine starts

In the following seasons, Pratt solidified his position on the team, acting as a starting linebacker, accumulating an impressive number of combined tackles and even recorded his first career interception. He established himself as an indomitable figure in the 2021 season that culminated with a significant career milestone – he had made the interception that resulted in the Bengals first playoff win since 1991 during the Wild Card round match against the Las Vegas Raiders.

In the subsequent 2022 season, Pratt and his teammate Logan Wilson returned as team’s starting linebackers. Pratt secured his first career sack against the Ravens and made a notable interception against the Carolina Panthers leading to a viral celebration by the Bengals’ defense.

On March 14, 2023, Pratt extended his affiliation with the Cincinnati Bengals with a three-year, $20.25 million contract. The subsequent season saw Pratt forcing fumbles, intercepting crucial passes, and enhancing his tackle count to a career-high of 118. Today, he is still an integral part of the Bengals’ defense, being one of the team’s leading tacklers alongside Wilson, and continues to solidify his status in professional football.