3 Bengals free agents we'll sadly miss in 2023

Germaine Pratt

No matter what happens over the next few months, I think it's safe to say Pratt has certified himself as a folk hero among the Cincinnati faithful with his clutch moments. Intercepting the ball at the goalline to break a 31-year drought, stripping the ball from Travis Kelce in a game-changing play that I'd say was the turning point of this season-- Pratt came up big in big moments.

Unfortunately, he hasn't been very subtle with his thoughts during the season. He wants a new contract. And after what happened following their loss in the AFC Championship, where he vividly voiced his frustrations with second-year defensive end Joseph Ossai's terribly timed penalty, I don't see him back on the roster.

Now, personally, I think this is a little overblown, especially with people saying it's his true character. To me, it's just a passionate guy after an emotional loss. He could've controlled himself much better and acted much more appropriately about the situation, yes, but I don't think this one slip of the tongue makes him a bad person or teammate.

However, with that being said, taking into consideration his apology and even saying he wants to be back in Cincy next season, I don't see it happening.

Going back to Spotrac, Pratt is set to receive a 4-year/$10.6 million deal. While he is certainly worth it, there are, again, big paydays on the horizon and the front office is probably willing the sacrifice the North Carolina State product to save up money for said paydays, even if he will be much harder to replace than some fans seem to think.