Raiders Release $4.25 Million Veteran After He Started First Four 2025 Games

Following the embarrassing loss to the Colts, the Raiders have decided to move on from a different veteran who they added to their roster this past offseason.

While speaking to the media on October 6, Raiders head coach Pete Carroll revealed that the team had released linebacker Germaine Pratt.

Carroll didn't give any more information about the decision aside from saying the organization "thought it was time to go in a different direction."

Pratt spent the first six seasons of his NFL career with the Cincinnati Bengals, but requested a trade following the 2024 season.

At the time of that request, Pratt was coming off of the most productive season of his career. Last season he was a part of 143 total tackles, intercepted two passes, and forced two fumbles.

Despite the productive campaign, a move never materialized for Pratt and the Bengals eventually ended up just releasing him.

The Raiders didn't wait long to capitalize on that decision. They signed the veteran LB to a one-year deal worth $4.25 million just a day later.

He joined a linebacker group that was going through major changes. They had lost Robert Spillane to free agency, but already picked up Elandon Roberts and Devin White.

Pratt was able to win one of the starting jobs at the position and held it for the first four games. Over those first four games, he managed to be a part of 25 tackles, but had just one tackle for a loss and according to Pro Football Focus, is 74th in stops with 4.

Pratt was surprisingly made inactive for the Week 5 loss to the Colts, which left a trio of Roberts, White, and Jamal Adams to start at linebacker.

It's a unit that is a bit thin for the Raiders following the decision to let Pratt go. The only options currently available off their bench are Tommy Eichenberg and seventh-round rookie Cody Lindenberg.

That could lead the team to dip into free agency to find a replacement for Pratt, but anybody the Raiders pick up would likely just be a depth rental to get them through what is already looking like a lost season.

Meanwhile, Pratt will likely resurface somewhere before the season is over because of his experience and previous productivity.

Unfortunately, signing Pratt just turned out to be another move that didn't work out for the Raiders.