Cincinnati Bengals have started to clean the house after losing nine straight games to start the 2019 NFL decision. In a surprise move on Tuesday, the team announced that they have released veteran linebacker, Preston Brown.
Brown was ever-present for Bengals this season, starting eight out of their nine games. He also had solid numbers, recording 52 tackles, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. However, the organization obviously thought he was underperforming his three-year, $16.5 million contract he signed in March and decided to get off the 27-year-old’s big salary sooner than later.
It’s possible that Cincinnati also wanted to clear the path for rookie Germaine Pratt to get more snaps. Pratt, who was drafted in the third round, started instead of the Brown past week and recorded four tackles.
Preston Brown spent the first four years of his career with the Buffalo Bulls, before deciding to sign a one-year deal with the Bengals in 2018 and return to his hometown of Cincinnati. Brown’s first season home wasn’t that successful, as he only managed to play seven games before going down with a knee injury.
It shouldn’t be a problem for Brown to find a new job soon, as the team that takes him off waiver list would only have to pay him $400,000 until the end of the season, which is a small price for getting depth with a veteran LB.
