By all accounts, Bengals players and coaches stood by Joseph Ossai after he made a critical mistake late in Sunday’s game at Arrowhead Stadium.
But in the heat of the moment, one Cincinnati player wasn’t able to contain his frustration.
Ossai’s unnecessary roughness penalty in the final seconds of the AFC Championship Game set the Chiefs up with a manageable field-goal situation to win the game. Kansas City converted, as Harrison Butker’s 45-yard field goal prevented the Bengals from winning their second consecutive conference title.
Germaine Pratt was fuming after Cincinnati’s narrow loss and he angrily took aim at Ossai before entering the locker room. Cameras captured Pratt yelling, ‘Why the (expletive) would you touch the quarterback?’ during an outburst in the tunnel.
Pratt later addressed his remarks in an Instagram comment.
“Yep ppl will post anything on social media for likes and views,” Pratt wrote, per Pro Football Talk. “I have real feelings sometimes they are raw. If you love something as much I do sometimes things will be said in the heated of the moment. But I know what type of teammate I am. And what type of man I am. Trust me no love lost Im hurt. Remember some ppl with hate you, rate you and shake you and try to break you but I will stand tall like always.”
Pratt and his Bengals teammates now will be forced to watch from home when the Chiefs represent the AFC in Super Bowl LVII against the Philadelphia Eagles.
