The Cincinnati Bengals and linebacker Germaine Pratt shocked most onlookers on Monday as free agency technically got started by agreeing to a three-year deal.
Pratt seemed like an obvious departure from the Bengals on the chance he could make more money elsewhere while potentially seeing more snaps, too.
And yet when the dust settled on Day 1, Pratt agreed to come back and gave an amazing reason for doing so.
Initially reported as a three-year deal worth $21 million, Over The Cap has the full official breakdown and it’s pretty interesting.
Pratt gets roughly $10 million in Year 1 with $7 million fully guaranteed. In a shift from how the Bengals usually do business, Pratt’s 2023 cap hit ($5.4 million) is cheaper than his final year (2025, $7.9 million).
Meaning, the Bengals pushed the bigger cap hits to the back of the contract. They usually go the other direction, but this might be a sign they want to fit absolutely as much as possible onto the roster this year while pushing for another Super Bowl.
These aren’t substantial numbers, but it’s a small sign the team is willing to do things differently to compete. Plus, it’s a nice contract for Pratt and a great value for a team as the linebacker position turned out a bunch of bargains on this year’s market.
