The Cincinnati Bengals thought they had added a pass rusher on trade deadline day. Then they read the fine print.

Cincinnati backed out of a tentative deal to acquire edge rusher Arnold Ebiketie from the Philadelphia Eagles for a 2027 sixth-round pick, according to reports Tuesday afternoon. The trade had been reported as agreed to earlier in the morning.

The reason was a hidden cost. Making the move would have cost the Bengals a 2027 compensatory third-round pick on top of the sixth-rounder they were sending to Philadelphia.

The compensatory pick catch

Cincinnati was in line for that extra third-round pick because of how its free agency losses and signings balanced out. The biggest factor was former defensive end Trey Hendrickson signing with the Baltimore Ravens in the offseason.

Adding Ebiketie would have changed that math. Once the issue came to light, the deal was called off.

Why Cincinnati wanted help

The Bengals are 6-2, have won four straight and are tied for first place in the AFC North. They went looking for an edge rusher after rookie Cashius Howell landed on injured reserve with a right wrist injury he suffered in Week 8.

Howell had one sack, five quarterback hits and a 15.3% pressure rate in seven games. Ebiketie has two quarterback hits and a 4.6% pressure rate in nine games for Philadelphia.

Ebiketie stays put for now

Ebiketie, 27, signed a one-year deal with the Eagles in March. The Atlanta Falcons drafted him in the second round in 2022 out of Penn State. He had 16.5 sacks in four seasons in Atlanta.

The Eagles are 2-7 and have lost seven games in a row. They traded defensive tackle Jordan Davis to Jacksonville on Monday and still have until 3 p.m. Central on Tuesday to make more moves.