PHILADELPHIA — The Eagles thought they had another trade in the books Tuesday. Then the Cincinnati Bengals thought better of it.
The Eagles had agreed to send edge rusher Arnold Ebiketie to Cincinnati for a sixth-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, but the deal fell through less than two hours after it was reported.
The reason? Draft picks. Specifically, one worth considerably more than the Bengals were willing to surrender.
According to NFL Network, the Bengals backed out after discovering that acquiring Ebiketie would cost them a projected third-round compensatory pick in 2027 stemming from defensive end Trey Hendrickson’s departure to Baltimore in free agency.
In other words, Cincinnati would have given up a sixth-rounder and forfeited a third-rounder to acquire Ebiketie.
The collapse of the agreement had nothing to do with Ebiketie’s health or performance, according to NFL reporter Jordan Schultz.
General manager Howie Roseman and the Birds couldn’t close any other deals before Tuesday’s 4 p.m. trade deadline.
Ebiketie, 27, signed a one-year, $7.3 million contract with Philadelphia in March, including $4.3 million guaranteed. He has appeared in all nine games this season — no starts — recording 25 tackles and two quarterback hits without a sack.
The former Temple and Penn State standout, a second-round pick by Atlanta in 2022, spent his first four NFL seasons with the Falcons, tallying 16.5 sacks.
For now, he remains an Eagle.
The Eagles (2-7), losers of seven straight, have been trying stockpile draft picks with an eye on the future. They currently hold two first-round picks in each of the next two drafts and a pair of second-round picks in both 2028 and 2029.
On Monday, Philadelphia stole the headlines by dealing defensive tackle Jordan Davis to Jacksonville for a 2027 first-round selection and 2029 second-rounder.
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Follow Christiaan DeFranco on X and Threads at @the_defranc.