Pratt was set to enter the final season of his three-year contract in 2025. He inked the deal, worth more than $20 million, in 2023. In releasing Pratt, the Bengals will incur $2.3 million in dead money against the salary cap. He was set to earn a $5.25 million salary for the 2025 season.

On its own, the Cincinnati Bengals cutting Germaine Pratt would be a perfectly fine, normal football move accepted by most fans. Instead, the Bengals dragged the process out and turned plenty of people against them along the way.