Herbert even has a suitcase packed ready to go even though he didn’t know if he would go. After Tuesday night’s practice, the bag is in front of his locker, and it has been such a whirlwind he’s not sure what’s in it.

“I had heard rumblings about Cincy and my agent texted me this (Tuesday) morning that it was done,” Herbert says. “I had a bag packed. I didn’t know when or what would happen. I had faith it would get done. Glad to be here.”

Last week, Radicevic checked in again with Bears assistant general manager Ian Cunningham on Herbert. The Bengals have been looking at adding a running back ever since training camp broke with the two regulars, the free-agent pickup Moss and sophomore draft pick Chase Brown, as well as vet special teamer Trayveon Williams and Kendall Milton, an undrafted rookie added to the practice squad after camp.

“A little thin,” Radicevic says.

Then when Moss surprisingly surfaced with his neck injury last Friday morning, urgency took over. The calls continued throughout the weekend, until the Bears called timeout and said they’d re-visit Monday after gauging their health at the position following Sunday’s game.

When Swift and Johnson emerged unscathed from the loss in Arizona, Radicevic and Cunningham hooked up Monday morning and Tobin and Bears general manager Ryan Poles texted the final terms Tuesday morning with the compensation: A 2025 seventh-rounder. A match, they feel, for a player they need for the last eight games.

Looking at the other backs on his board, Radicevic says Herbert is “a better fit in terms of how we can make it fit. He’s coming in on the last year of his deal. He’s young (26), he’s still got a lot of juice in his legs … We liked him coming out of the draft. High character. Good production in Chicago. Well-liked in the locker room.”

Herbert is a different style of player than Moss, a guy they are really enthused about in the pass game as a protector and check-down artist. A younger, better version of Samaje Perine, they sense.

They see Herbert more in the mold of Devin Singletary, a 5-7 workhorse. But they also like Herbert’s career 45 catches, his diligence in pass protection, and vision that has yielded a career 4.8 yards per attempt out of the same shotgun formation the Bengals use frequently. When he led the NFL with 5.7 yards per carry on 129 carries two years ago, he was rated in the top five of NFL Next Gen Stats’ most efficient running backs.

And the fact he’s only carried eight times this season has Herbert upbeat this mid-season Tuesday night.

“Fresh. I’m fresh,” says Herbert, who brings in 372 career carries. “I’ve been waiting patiently. I’m ready to go. Grateful for the opportunity.”

But is he too fresh to get ready for a primetime game with a new team in just 48 hours? Burrow and head coach Zac Taylor say no. After spending all day in running back coach Justin Hill’s office, Herbert agrees.

“Thursday’s irregular, but never like this,” he admits. “I’m just learning some new language. (Burrow) says he’s going to help me. He has been helping. I’ve still got two more days to get it down.”

With the clock ticking past 8 p.m. on the longest day of his NFL career, Herbert isn’t sure when he’ll arrive at his hotel room. He still has to meet with special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons.

“Good question. But we’ve got a late day tomorrow,” Herbert says.

Which is another travel day. Herbert isn’t quite sure what he’ll wear on Wednesday’s charter flight.

“I can’t really remember what I packed,” Herbert says. “I think I threw in a couple of drawers and maybe an outfit for Thursday.”

He’ll have the weekend to get back to Chicago and get the rest of his wardrobe. After a dizzy day, the Bengals believe they found a fit for the rest of the way.