The Cincinnati Bengals have been busy clearing salary cap space ahead of NFL free agency.
The Bengals released veterans Sheldon Rankins and Alex Cappa and freed up over $17 million against the cap in the process. They also cleared an additional $9.5 million following the surprising retirement of Sam Hubbard. That’s a total of over $26 million that the team has already cleared, and they’re likely not done.
Here’s a look at two more Bengals players who could be next in line to be released in the name of clearing cap space.
Germaine Pratt, Linebacker
Veteran linebacker Germaine Pratt has played the entirety of his career to this point in Cincinnati after the Bengals selected him in the third round (72nd overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft. He led the team with 143 total tackles in 2024 and also added six passes defended, five tackles for a loss, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
But, Pratt is looking for a new home, as he requested a trade away from the Bengals earlier this offseason. Perhaps the Bengals will honor his request and find a trade partner, or perhaps they’ll just cut bait entirely.
Pratt currently has the seventh-largest cap hit on the Bengals for the 2025 season, and the team could save roughly $8 million against the cap by parting ways with him. As a result, it’s not out of the realm of possibility, at all, that Pratt has already played his last down in a Bengals uniform.
Zack Moss, Running back
The Bengals signed running back Zack Moss to a two-year contract last offseason, but they can save close to $5 million against the cap by releasing him this offseason.
Moss had an underwhelming 2024 campaign in Cincinnati, due in part to a neck injury that ended his season and limited him to just eight total games played. In those games, Moss ran for just 242 yards and two touchdowns on 72 carries. He ultimately lost the starting spot to Chase Brown before being knocked out of action with the neck injury.
Brown clearly established himself as Cincinnati’s lead back heading into the ’25 season, and he also showed that he’s capable of being a three-down back and carrying a heavy load. The Bengals will need a backup for Brown, but they could likely find a cheaper option than Moss via the draft or free agency. For that reason, Moss seems like a legitimate cut candidate.
