Bengals coach Zac Taylor acknowledged Cincinnati deserved blame after its failed attempt to acquire Arnold Ebiketie from the Philadelphia Eagles before Tuesday’s trade deadline.
Taylor shared details Wednesday about how the process unfolded from the Bengals’ perspective, reading a prepared statement from Bengals director of football Duke Tobin. “Duke was very explicit with me when he came and spoke to me about how he wanted this portrayed,” Taylor said as he began explaining why the roster move ultimately fell through. “I’m not comfortable doing it, but I’m going to do what he asked.”
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Tobin is the team’s de facto general manager. He said the Bengals underestimated the cost of replacing Cashius Howell and emphasized that Philadelphia was a willing trade partner.
“We did make an effort to put some depth in there in place of Cashius [Howell]. As we got into it, obviously it was going to be a little more costly than we initially anticipated. He’s really apologetic about it and wants to make clear [that] Philly was a great trade partner. It was on our end.”
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Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor speaks at a news conference after an NFL game against the Cleveland Browns in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Jan. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)
An initial report from NFL Network stated that the Bengals and Eagles decided on a deal that would send edge rusher Arnold Ebiketie to Cincinnati. The Bengals were set to give up a sixth-round pick in 2027, but the agreement apparently started going off the rails as the teams worked through the final details and tried to get the deal over the finish line.
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ESPN reported Wednesday, citing sources, that it became clear to the Bengals that the team would need to give up a compensatory draft pick to finalize the trade. The additional compensation prompted Cincinnati back out of the proposed deal.
Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor and director of player personnel Duke Tobin talk during practice at the Paycor Stadium practice field in downtown Cincinnati on Aug. 20, 2025. (USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)
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Questions remain about when and how the Bengals realized they would have to surrender the compensatory pick to complete the trade. The pick was awarded after Cincinnati lost more qualifying free agents than it signed, includingTrey Hendrickson.
Nick Korte posted on X about the potential loss of the pick after the trade was first reported as agreed to but before news emerged that the deal had fallen through.
Korte’s X profile identifies him as affiliated with OverTheCap, and he regularly shares NFL salary-cap news on the platform.
Taylor said he did not ask Tobin for details Tuesday because they did not matter to him.
“I didn’t even ask the question,” Taylor noted. “It doesn’t really matter to me. It probably took three minutes of my day yesterday away from watching tape. Got a lot of faith in how [the front office] operates and we’ll just move forward with it.”
Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor walks on the sideline during the first half of an NFL game against the Cleveland Browns in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Jan. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)
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The Bengals defeated the Atlanta Falcons in the NFL’s first game in Madrid on Sunday to earn their fourth consecutive victory. Cincinnati hosts AFC North rival Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 10.