Heading into the Week 5 game against the Indianapolis Colts, the Las Vegas Raiders surprisingly revealed that starting linebacker Germaine Pratt was not traveling with the team for non-injury-related issues. After the game, head coach Pete Carroll was mum on the topic, which led to speculation.
Well, it appears that there was something going on behind the scenes. During his Monday press conference, Carroll revealed that the Raiders have decided to release Pratt outright.
“We just thought it was time to go in a different direction,” Carroll said when asked why the linebacker was cut.
It’s unclear exactly what happened. Pratt did post a cryptic message on social media before Carroll announced the news.
There are many things that could’ve happened. It could be as simple as Pratt not working well with the coaching staff. Perhaps the Raiders were thinking of moving him out of the starting lineup. It’s difficult to know for sure right now, but clearly something happened that made the team feel like they could no longer work with him.
This is a blow to the defense. Pratt was the defense’s best linebacker in pass defense. That said, now that the team is 1-4, they should pivot to younger players to give them some experience.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Pete Carroll Surprisingly Announces Release of Key Raiders Starter appeared first on Heavy Sports.