CINCINNATI (AP) — AJ McCarron was readying his son to Trick-or-Treat as Ace Ventura when his agent called with shocking news: The Bengals were trading him to the Cleveland Browns.

Then came another jolt: The trade fell through because paperwork wasn’t filed with the NFL office in time.

McCarron was still processing the whirlwind events Wednesday, a day after a paperwork snafu meant he’d stay in Cincinnati as Andy Dalton’s backup. The AFC North rivals agreed to the trade shortly before the 4 p.m. deadline. The Bengals say they filed the necessary paperwork, holding up their end of the deal.

McCarron doesn’t understand how the trade was botched, saying he’s “lost like everybody else.”

The Bengals (3-4) play at Jacksonville (4-3) on Sunday.