Bengals NOT Striking Trade Deal For Eagles Pass Rusher Arnold Ebiketie Due To Key Reason

A head-scratching sequence.

Jul 30, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles outside linebacker Arnold Ebiketie (17) during training camp at Jefferson Health Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

No deal!

After NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that the Bengals are trading a 2027 sixth-round pick for Arnold Ebiketie, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported roughly an hour later that the deal was not happening.

Cincinnati got cold feet after it surfaced that they would lose their 2027 third-round compensatory pick if they struck the deal.

"Plot twist! The Bengals and Eagles deal for DE Arnold Ebiketie has fallen through and will not happen, per sources. The trade falling through is not physical or performance-related, per sources," Schultz posted on X.

Rapoport confirmed they are exiting the deal to retain the third-round compensatory pick.

"The Bengals have now called off this trade intending to keep a future comp pick they would've lost with this deal. Agreement was reached, but not official," Rapoport posted.

Back to the trade drawing board for Cincinnati, which clearly is putting a heavy premium on that top-100 pick they are slated to get back after Trey Hendrickson signed a new deal in Baltimore and triggered the pick for his old team.

The NFL rules state below how the Bengals would've lost the pick. Ebiketie was a CFA signing by the Eagles this past offseason.

"If a Club qualifies for more than four Compensatory Draft Selections, only the four highest selections will be awarded to the Club. If a Club trades for a player who was a CFA during that League Year, whether the player was another Club's CFA or the acquiring Club's own CFA, the player will be considered a CFA gained by the acquiring Club and will be included in the Compensatory netting process described above," the rules state.

A rough fake-out for Bengals fans, who thought they were about to get their defense beefed up, and a rough look for the team's front office.

They appear to not have known this compensatory pick language existed until Over The Cap's Nick Korte tweeted about it right after the announced deal.

"Arnold Ebiketie was signed as a compensatory free agent by the Eagles. The Bengals lost 3 CFAs and signed 2 (Cordell Volson not qualifying); thus, while they gain a 2027 sixth-round comp pick, they lose a 2027 third-round comp pick that was via Trey Hendrickson going to Baltimore," Korte posted on X before expanding further. "Obvious correction here: the Bengals gave up a regular sixth-round pick, they did not gain one. The main point is of course about the third round compensatory pick that this trade would cancel out."

Cincinnati has less than four hours to add talent ahead of the deadline at 4 p.m. ET.

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