NFL Free Agency: Germaine Pratt re-signs with the Cincinnati Bengals

Former NC State linebacker Germaine Pratt just inked a new deal in NFL free agency to remain in Cincinnati with the Bengals after they drafted him back in 2019. According to NFL reporter Tom Pelissero, Pratt is staying in the Jungle on a front-loaded three-year deal worth roughly $21 million.

Here were the details of the deal, as provided by Pelissero:

“The #Bengals are re-signing LB Germaine Pratt to a three-year, $21 million deal, per source. He gets $10.35M in Year 1 and $15.15M over two years. He’s started 54 career games and now stays in Cincinnati.”

Pratt is coming off his best year as a pro, where he took a leap as a tackler and, more importantly, in pass coverage. He ended the year one shy of 100 with 99 total tackles while defending 10 passes and recording two interceptions.

He also has a knack for making big plays in big moments for the Bengals. Pratt caught the game-ending interception in Cincinnati’s January 2022 playoff win over the Raiders, the franchise’s first in 31 years. He also helped force the Tyler Huntley fumble that was run back for a 99-yard touchdown in the win over Baltimore in this year’s playoffs. And in a regular season game against the Chiefs, he stripped Travis Kelce to turn the tide of that eventual victory.

A play-maker at linebacker is staying put in Cincinnati.

More on the 2023 NFL offseason, free agency

The NFL 2023 calendar year is set to begin at 4 p.m. ET on March 15 when contracts running through 2022 will officially run out, making those players free agents. Prior to the beginning of free agency, teams will have a chance to designate one franchise or transition tag player, starting on Feb. 21 at 4 p.m. ET and ending on March 7. Beginning March 13 through March 15 teams will be allowed a legal negotiation with players who are set to become unrestricted free agents.

In addition to NFL free agency, the new year also marks the beginning of all trades being made official by the league office. April 21 marks the deadline to sign restricted free agents to offer sheets while April 26 marks the deadline for teams to match restricted free agent offers sheets. 722 players are slated to become free agents in 2023.

More on restricted, exclusive rights free agents

Players with only three years of accredited NFL experience become restricted free agents. Their original team will have the option to apply first-round, second-round, original-round, and right-of-fight-of-first-refusal tenders on players at escalating price tags. The higher the round, the more expensive the tender amount; however, if a separate team does offer a contract and the original team does not match that round pick will be conveyed from the new team to the original team. Right of first refusal only gives a team the option to match or not. If they don’t match, they get nothing in return. An original-round tender would send a draft pick from whatever round the player was drafted back to the original team if they chose not to match. The original team will have five days to match once a player signs an offer sheet from a new team.