The Cincinnati Bengals reportedly backed out of a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles that would’ve seen them acquire edge rusher Arnold Ebiketie.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Bengals “called off this trade with an eye toward keeping a future comp pick they would’ve lost with this deal.”
NFL cap expert Nick Korte explained that Cincinnati would’ve lost the 2027 third-round comp pick they received after edge rusher Trey Hendrickson signed with the Baltimore Ravens this past offseason.
This wasn’t the first time Korte’s keen eye potentially influenced a transaction. According to ESPN’s Field Yates, Korte noticed in 2024 “that the Bengals appeared to be shorted a 3rd round compensatory pick following the departure of Jessie Bates in free agency. Days later, the NFL announced it had made an error and Cincinnati wound up with a 3rd round compensatory pick.”
Ebiketie joined Philadelphia over the offseason after spending the first four years of his career with the Atlanta Falcons. He appeared in all nine games for the 2-7 Eagles this season and recorded 25 total tackles with no sacks. He produced 16.5 sacks during his tenure in Atlanta.
Despite his lack of production in Philadelphia, Ebiketie would’ve been a solid fit with the Bengals. ESPN’s Ben Baby noted that Cincinnati “was looking to add an edge rusher to bolster a defensive line that recently lost one of its best players” after rookie defensive end Cashius Howell was placed on injured reserve due to a wrist injury. Adding Ebiketie would’ve provided some extra depth to a defense that ranks 25th in the NFL with 354.9 yards allowed per game.
Instead, the Bengals will have to search elsewhere for some defensive help before Tuesday’s 4 p.m. ET trade deadline. At 6-2, Cincinnati appears to be one of the top contenders in the AFC this season, so the team will have to shore up any holes if it hopes to represent the conference in the Super Bowl.
Bengals fans will surely be watching closely to see if any other moves are attempted before the trade deadline.