Bengals Land Pass Rusher Arnold Ebiketie From Eagles for Sixth-Round Pick as Philadelphia Sell-Off Continues

CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Bengals agreed Tuesday to acquire edge rusher Arnold Ebiketie from the Philadelphia Eagles for a 2027 sixth-round draft pick. The trade adds depth to Cincinnati's defensive front hours before the NFL trade deadline.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport first reported the deal. "Sources: The Eagles aren't done, trading edge Arnold Ebiketie to the Bengals in exchange for a 2027 6th-round pick," Rapoport wrote. The Philadelphia Inquirer confirmed the terms through a league source.

The move came ahead of the league's 4 p.m. EST deadline on Tuesday. It sends a 2022 second-round pick with a history of late-season pass-rush production to an AFC contender dealing with injuries at defensive end.

For Cincinnati, the trade addresses an obvious need. Last week the Bengals placed rookie defensive end Cashius Howell on injured reserve after he hurt his wrist and had surgery during a 43-36 overtime win over the Tennessee Titans.

"The Bengals today placed DE Cashius Howell on the Reserve/Injured list with a wrist injury," the team announced.

Howell, the 41st overall pick in this year's draft out of Texas A&M, had played in all seven games and recorded six tackles, two tackles for loss, five quarterback hits and one sack. He was a key part of the rotation behind starters Myles Murphy and Boye Mafe and must miss at least four games.

Without Howell, the Bengals were left with Murphy, Mafe, Cedric Johnson and 2025 first-round pick Shemar Stewart at defensive end. Johnson has also been dealing with ankle and foot problems. Ebiketie gives Cincinnati a veteran rotational rusher with more than four seasons of NFL experience.

The Bengals were 5-2 heading into last weekend's game against the Atlanta Falcons in Madrid. That was Cincinnati's first overseas game since 2019, and it came against the team that drafted Ebiketie.

Ebiketie, 27, signed a one-year contract with Philadelphia in March worth up to $7.3 million, with $4.3 million fully guaranteed. He has struggled to produce as a pass rusher this season.

In nine games with the Eagles, he has 25 total tackles, two quarterback hits and no sacks while playing just under half of Philadelphia's defensive snaps. Over his career, he has 16.5 sacks in 76 games.

The Bengals are betting on his earlier production. Ebiketie had six sacks in 2023 and six more in 2024 with the Falcons. Five of his six sacks in 2024 came in the final six games of the season, a late surge that made him one of the more sought-after rotational edge rushers before he reached free agency.

Atlanta took Ebiketie with the 38th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. He played 57 games for the Falcons over four seasons, with 12 starts, 114 tackles, 14.5 sacks and four forced fumbles.

He has strong ties to the Philadelphia area. Ebiketie played at Temple from 2017 to 2020 before transferring to Penn State for his final college season in 2021, where he had a breakout year that raised his draft stock. He played high school football at Albert Einstein High School in Kensington, Maryland.

For the Eagles, the trade is the latest move in a deadline sell-off under general manager Howie Roseman. Philadelphia has struggled this season and entered the deadline as an expected seller, with Roseman taking calls on several veterans in exchange for future draft picks.

The deal also continues a busy stretch of trades involving Philadelphia's defensive front, including an earlier deal that sent defensive tackle Jordan Davis to the Jacksonville Jaguars. A sixth-round pick is a small return, but it lets the Eagles free up playing time for younger players and add another selection to a growing stockpile of future picks.

The trade also ends a short stay in Philadelphia for Ebiketie. Signing him eight months ago was part of the Eagles' plan to strengthen their pass rush on short-term deals. With the season going badly, keeping a player on an expiring contract made little sense for Philadelphia.

For Cincinnati, the cost is low and so is the risk. Ebiketie's deal runs only through this season, so the Bengals take on the rest of a one-year contract with no long-term commitment. If he finds the form he showed late in 2024, the team gets a useful rotational rusher for the second half of the season.

Getting after the quarterback is central to the Bengals' hopes of a deep playoff run. Cincinnati's defensive front has been among the league leaders in sacks this season, and the team wants to keep that pressure up with Howell out until at least Week 13.

Ebiketie, who has played both outside linebacker and defensive end, is expected to fit into Cincinnati's 4-3 front as a situational pass rusher behind Murphy and Mafe. The Bengals did not immediately announce a corresponding roster move, and the trade is not official until both players and teams complete the league's standard procedures, including a physical.

Neither team had commented on the deal as of Tuesday afternoon. More moves were possible across the league before the 4 p.m. deadline.