The Cincinnati Bengals have reportedly renounced a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles that would have allowed them to acquire the advantageous Arnold Ebiketie.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Bengals “canceled this trade in an effort to retain a future pick they would have lost with this deal.”
NFL cap expert Nick Korte explained that Cincinnati would have lost the 2027 third-round pick they received after edge rusher Trey Hendrickson signed with the Baltimore Ravens last offseason.
This wasn’t the first time Korte’s keen eye was able to influence a transaction. According to ESPN’s Field Yates, Korte noticed in 2024 “that the Bengals appeared to have lost a 3rd round compensatory pick following the departure of Jessie Bates in free agency. A few days later, the NFL announced it had made a mistake and Cincinnati was left with a 3rd round compensatory pick.”
Ebiketie joined Philadelphia in 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 have been a good fit for the Bengals. Ben Baby of ESPN noted that Cincinnati was “looking to add some upside to bolster a defensive line that recently lost one of its best players” after rookie defensive end Cashius Howell was placed on injured reserve with a wrist injury. The addition of Ebiketie would have brought additional depth to a defense that ranks 25th in the NFL with 354.9 yards allowed per game.
Instead, the Bengals will have to look elsewhere for defensive help before Tuesday’s 4 p.m. ET trade deadline. With a 6-2 record, Cincinnati appears to be one of the top contenders in the AFC this season, so the team will need to address its gaps 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.
Gn sports
