Chiefs Have Opportunity to Poach Rival Defender After Post-Super Bowl Trade Request
By Joe Summers
The Kansas City Chiefs have a significant number of pending free agents whose futures must be determined in the coming months as the organization tries to retool the roster ahead of 2025. Some players won't be back, though the team will survey the landscape to find replacements.
They've been keeping a keen eye on various rumblings around the NFL. Starting linebacker Nick Bolton is among the players who is due for an extension and should the Chiefs want to avoid an expensive long-term commitment, they suddenly have a potential replacement available in a trade.
Cincinnati Bengals defensive captain Germaine Pratt officially requested a trade on Friday. He had 143 tackles last year and 118 the year prior, so he's capable of holding up over the middle at a cheaper price. If Kansas City was interested and Cincinnati was willing to do business, it's an intriguing consideration.
#Bengals defensive captain and leading tackler Germaine Pratt has requested a trade, sources tell me and @TomPelissero.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 12, 2025
Cincinnati has been devoting resources to keeping their offensive core together and Pratt was close to DC Lou Anarumo, who was fired after last season. pic.twitter.com/NuP0TmxIZv
Bengals LB Germaine Pratt Requests Trade Ahead of Free Agency
According to Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Pratt was close to fired defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo. That combined with the Bengals' prioritization of core offensive players seemingly led to the trade request.
Pratt carries a cap hit short of $8 million in 2025 before becoming an unrestricted free agent. It admittedly sounds like he wants a new deal, which could complicate matters in a theoretical trade if the point was to avoid a big Bolton contract in the first place. That said, perhaps Pratt could see the benefit in proving his value in Steve Spagnuolo's scheme before cashing in next offseason.
The Bengals as a whole are suddenly in flux. Several stars are angling for new contracts and they're losing leverage, hurting their 2025 outlook. Given the long rivalry between these two teams, Cincy probably wouldn't want to help Kansas City. Their hand could be forced in a pinch though, and we've seen the Buffalo Bills repeatedly trade with the Chiefs as an example.
There is plenty of time for general manager Brett Veach to figure out who will be on next year's roster. He needs to be proactive and leave no stone unturned, and considering potential Bolton replacements like Pratt is a smart way to do that.
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