Eagles To Trade Arnold Ebiketie To Bengals

The fifth-year pass rusher is being acquired by the Bengals, as first reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Cincinnati will send Philadelphia a 2027 sixth-round pick in return. Ebiketie will represent a rental for the Bengals.

A second-round pick of the Falcons in 2022, Ebiketie never emerged as a full-time starter while playing out his rookie contract. Even so, he managed to record 16.5 sacks with Atlanta, notching six in each of the 2023 and ’24 seasons. Ebiketie took a one-year deal to join the Eagles in free agency.

The Penn State product secured $4.3MM guaranteed, but his base salary for 2026 is the $1.3MM veteran minimum. Absorbing the prorated of that figure will not be a challenge for the Bengals. Cincinnati entered Tuesday with $7.71MM in cap space.

The Bengals were among the teams believed to be interested in a low-cost addition on the trade front. Indeed, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports Cincinnati has been in the EDGE market for the past week. Ebiketie, 27, will offer a depth presence in the pass rush department on a Bengals defense which received plenty of attention in the offseason. He posted 25 tackles and a pair of QB hits in nine Eagles games.

Cincinnati currently ranks 10th in the league in sacks, with free agent addition Boye Mafe leading the way. The Bengals sport a record of 6-2, putting them in a tie for top spot in the AFC North. The team’s offense is among the most productive in the NFL, so it comes as little surprise an addition is being made on the other side of the ball.

For the Eagles, meanwhile, general manager Howie Roseman’s attention continues to be focused on accumulating draft capital. This deal will leave Philadelphia with 10 picks in the 2027 draft, giving him plenty of flexibility to reset a roster which has dealt with injuries and poor performances across the board this season. Other pending free agents will no doubt be the subject of trade calls fielded by Roseman as the countdown to this afternoon’s deadline continues.