Colts Sign 7-Year Starting Linebacker to Bolster Defense

The Indianapolis Colts added veteran linebacker Germaine Pratt to their practice squad on Tuesday.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported the move, writing, “Veteran LB Germaine Pratt has re-signed with Colts, per source. They’ll start him on the practice squad.”

Pratt spent the bulk of the 2025 season in Indianapolis after the Las Vegas Raiders released him on Oct. 6 of that year. The Colts signed him two days later, and he started all 12 games he appeared in for the team.

In those contests, Pratt recorded 101 tackles, including 5.0 for a loss, along with eight passes defensed, two fumble recoveries, one forced fumble and one interception.

He finished the year as an unrestricted free agent when his one-year deal expired, and the Colts did not re-sign him at the time.

Indianapolis entered the 2026 season with second-round draft pick C.J. Allen in the linebacker group, but the Georgia product has seen very limited defensive snaps through the first five weeks.

The Colts sit at 2-3 after a 34-22 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 5, and defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo has leaned primarily on Akeem Davis-Gaither in the middle.

Pratt, who turned 30 in May, has not appeared in a game or practiced with an NFL team yet in 2026, so his path to the active roster will likely depend on how quickly he gets into game shape.

He was originally drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the third round, No. 72 overall, out of North Carolina State in 2019. Pratt played his first six seasons in Cincinnati, totaling 616 tackles across 96 games.

His best year came in 2024, when he posted a career-high 143 tackles to go with two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and two interceptions.

That production led to a one-year deal with the Raiders last spring, but he lasted just four games in Las Vegas, where he made 25 tackles before the team moved on.

Pratt hails from High Point, North Carolina, and starred at High Point Central High School before starring for the Wolfpack.

Teams are allowed to elevate a practice-squad player up to three times before having to sign him to the 53-man roster, giving the Colts flexibility if they need his experience later this season.