The critical mistake Bengals made before controversially backing out of Eagles trade
The Cincinnati Bengals nearly acquired edge rusher Arnold Ebiketie from the Philadelphia Eagles for a sixth-round selection in the next draft. However, the deal collapsed after the team realized that adding Ebiketie, who has recorded two quarterback hits, three pressures, and 25 tackles in nine games, would cost them a projected third-round compensatory pick resulting from Trey Hendrickson's move to Baltimore.
This loophole, first identified by Nick Korte of OverTheCap, stems from the NFL's Collective Bargaining Agreement, which states that acquiring a compensatory free agent like Ebiketie would exclude that player from the netting process.
Duke Tobin, the Bengals' director of player personnel, apologized to Philadelphia for the error. The team had mistakenly believed that former guard Cordell Volson would count as a lost compensatory free agent, but he did not because he played no snaps this season.
This trend of reconsidering draft capital is seen elsewhere, as the Baltimore Ravens previously canceled a trade for Maxx Crosby from the Las Vegas Raiders involving two first-round picks in 2026 and 2027. Other recent failed trades include a deal for Chargers linebacker Daiyan Henley involving the Denver Broncos.
The Bengals are also awaiting a corrected compensatory pick for losing safety Jessie Bates III, which the NFL upgraded from two sixth-rounders to a third and a sixth-round pick.
