The 4 PM NFL trade deadline came and went on Tuesday, and the Cincinnati Bengals didn’t make a single addition to their team.
Not for lack of trying, though.
They tried to send a sixth-round pick to the Eagles in exchange for edge rusher Arnold Ebiketie, a move most would have celebrated. At least at first.
They backed out, though, after they learned—likely on X from OverTheCap.com’s Nick Korte and not even someone from inside their own building—they’d lose the third-round compensatory pick they earned in the ‘27
draft if the trade went through.
So yeah.
We learned the Bengals likely don’t even have anyone on the staff that could foresee how trading for a guy who was signed as a compensatory free agent could affect their future. We also learned the defense that has shown flashes of really good and flashes of really bad is the one Joe Burrow and the offense is going to be tethered to for the entire season.
What a day.
Here’s what else is going on:
Bengals Face Harsh Reality After NFL Trade Deadline
People are going to put a lot of blame on the Bengals and their front office for not making a swing. In some ways, it will be unfair. In other ways, they have built up a reputation of not going all-in when they have to.
How Bengals’ top opponents in the AFC handled Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline
There wasn’t a more aggressive team in the AFC than the Jacksonville Jaguars, however, who added three veterans before the deadline. Former Bengals safety Jessie Bates III came over from Atlanta, defensive tackle Jordan Davis was dealt from the Eagles to the Jaguars and defensive tackle Davon Godchaux arrived in a trade with the New Orleans Saints.
Hidden strength of Bengals’ roster just took a hit and there was nothing they could’ve done to stop it
The Bengals were lucky to bring Johnson back on their practice squad. Having both him and Flacco behind Burrow was such a luxury, and made the QB room arguably the best in the league. Even if Johnson wasn’t on the active roster, his presence in the building and experience of nearly 20 years playing professional ball were valuable on their own.
WEEK 10 NFL MVP TRACKER: BENGALS’ JOE BURROW LEADS RACE AT MIDPOINT OF 2026 SEASON
We’ve seen some ridiculously high-level quarterback play recently, from Joe Burrow dicing up defenses like a Top Chef on deadline to Jordan Love dive-bombing opponents into oblivion.
