Bengals' Germaine Pratt: 'I Was Wrong' for Viral Video Reaction to Ossai Penalty

Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Germaine Pratt drew a lot of attention for his postgame reaction to the late penalty by teammate Joseph Ossai that helped the Kansas City Chiefs win Sunday's AFC Championship Game. On Monday, Pratt apologized for his actions.

"It's a reaction anyone could have who's competitive. I love this game. They talk about my character as a teammate. I was wrong. ... As a man, you can look at yourself in the mirror and say I was wrong. I wasn't a great teammate in that moment," Pratt told reporters.

Shortly after his emotional reaction went viral, Pratt posted a comment on Instagram explaining his perspective:

Ossai was called for unnecessary roughness when he hit Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes as he scrambled out of bounds. The 15-yard penalty allowed Kansas City kicker Harrison Butker to attempt a 45-yard field goal, which he drilled with three seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to take a 23-20 lead.

The loss ended Cincinnati's bid for a second consecutive Super Bowl appearance, so it's understandable that emotions ran high after the game. Ossai's teammates consoled him on the sideline, and he expressed his gratitude for their support.

"It means the world to me. These guys mean a lot to me. We come every day and we work hard for each other, and to know that they have my back is, uh...is extremely, is giving me peace right now, for sure," Ossai said Sunday night.

While Ossai's blunder played a key part in the Bengals' loss, the team didn't do itself any favors during the game. Cincinnati struggled to protect star quarterback Joe Burrow, who was sacked five times and hit 12 times. The game also saw multiple questionable calls by the referees, most of which went against the Bengals.

Cincinnati enters the offseason with a bitter taste in its mouth, but the team has pieces in place to remain a contender for years to come. Meanwhile, Pratt will head into free agency, while Ossai will be in the third year of his rookie deal in 2023.