How the Bengals Nearly Lost a Draft Pick at NFL Trade Deadline Without Realizing It

The Cincinnati Bengals had the funniest moment of the 2026 NFL trade deadline, and it’s not even close.

The Bengals reportedly agreed to trade a 2027 sixth-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles for pass rusher Arnold Ebiketie. But the Bengals pulled out of the trade after learning on social media that it would cause Cincinnati to lose the third-round compensatory pick they were set to receive from Trey Hendrickson signing with the Baltimore Ravens.

Over the Cap’s Nick Korte, who reports on contracts in the NFL, was the first to notice that Cincinnati must’ve really wanted Ebiketie, especially if it meant no longer receiving a third-round pick.

In theory, it would’ve cost the Bengals a third and sixth round draft pick for a rotational outside linebacker.

This isn’t the first time Korte’s reporting has saved Cincinnati.

In 2024, he noticed the Bengals were shorted a comp pick after losing star free safety Jessie Bates in free agency. Days later, the NFL announced it had made an error and Cincinnati wound up with a third-round compensatory pick.

The Bengals should get Korte on the phone for some sort of front office job.

When you have Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase, life gets easy for a football executive.

The Bengals infamously don’t employ a general manager, as director of player personnel Duke Tobin makes all roster decisions for head coach Zac Taylor’s team, with both directly reporting to Bengals ownership.

It might be time to hire somebody, maybe even Korte, to help with comp picks, though, as this is the second clerical error that has nearly cost them.

At the same time, maybe it’s on Korte to stop posting about this stuff on social media, and just invoice the Bengals directly.

Kidding aside, it’s absolutely mind-blowing that a multi-billion dollar corporation like an NFL franchise doesn’t have someone to make sure all of these minor details are sorted before leaking trades to reporters. While this isn’t as crazy as the Baltimore Ravens pulling out of the reported blockbuster trade for Maxx Crosby a few months ago, it is stunning that this division has been the culprit of two botched trades in the NFL this season.

Ebiketie will go back to Philadelphia, as the trade was never processed by the league. How awkward must that be for the 27-year-old?

The Bengals didn’t make any other moves, leaving their pass rusher need unmet after one of the funnier trade deadline stories in recent memory.