“I’m not comfortable doing it, but I’m going to do what he asked,” Zac Taylor told The Shield Of Sports on November 11, 2026, describing instructions from his general manager.
A planned trade sending pass rusher Arnold Ebiketie from the Philadelphia Eagles to the Cincinnati Bengals collapsed at the deadline due to a front-office procedural hurdle, The Shield Of Sports reported. The Ohio franchise backed out of the agreement at the final second to protect a valuable asset.
Duke Tobin didn’t speak on the #Bengals botched trade with the Eagles… Instead, he asked Zac Taylor to “portray” the situation a certain way: "Duke (Tobin) was very explicit with me when he came and spoke to me about how he wanted this portrayed. I’m not comfortable doing it,… pic.twitter.com/tNNjUzbWEs”
The deal unraveled because Cincinnati faced the risk of losing a compensatory third-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. Front-office evaluators initially struck a deal with Philadelphia centered around a sixth-round selection before realizing the transaction would forfeit the compensatory pick earned through previous free-agent departures.
“Duke was very explicit with me when he came and spoke to me about how he wanted this portrayed,” Taylor said, referring to general manager Duke Tobin. Tobin did not speak directly on the botched transaction, choosing instead to have his head coach handle the public explanation.
The front office pursued Ebiketie to add depth to an edge-rushing unit missing injured player Cashius Howell. That roster need ultimately ran into the strategic value of holding onto high-round draft capital for future years.
Despite missing out on the defensive reinforcement, the Bengals hold a six-and-two record. That start marks the best through eight games in Taylor’s eight-year tenure with the franchise.
The Eagles traded Arnold Ebiketie to the Bengals for a 2027 sixth-round pick, a league source confirmed to NBC Sports Philadelphia. https://t.co/AHilT13tjX
Cincinnati now turns its attention to an upcoming matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. That game carries sole possession of first place in the AFC North division.
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