Arnold Ebiketie Trade Grades: Bengals May Have Overpaid Ahead of Playoff Push

Meanwhile, the Eagles followed up their trade of Jordan Davis by selling off another piece of their front seven.

Arnold Ebiketie is headed to the Bengals. | Emilee Chinn/Getty Images

Editor’s note: The Bengals have called off the trade for Arnold Ebiketie.

The 2026 NFL trade deadline is here, and we have our first Tuesday trade ahead of the afternoon’s 4 p.m. ET cutoff.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Eagles are trading edge defender Arnold Ebiketie to the Bengals in exchange for a 2027 sixth-round pick. The move marks Philadelphia’s second trade of the week, as they also sent star defensive tackle Jordan Davis to the Jaguars on Monday, making it clear that they’re selling amid their 2–7 start to the year.

Ebiketie, 27, was selected by the Falcons in the second round of the 2022 draft and spent his first four seasons in Atlanta before signing with the Eagles this offseason on a one-year, $7.3 million contract. He now heads to the Bengals who have won four consecutive games after a 2–2 start and are in the No. 6 spot in the AFC playoff picture.

Here are our grades for the Bengals’ trade for Ebiketie from the Eagles.

Bengals add additional pass-rush help ahead of playoff push

The Bengals are 6–2 and vying for a spot in the playoffs. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Bengals are ready to win it all in 2026. Just ask wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who told Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer after their win over the Falcons in Madrid that this is “by far” the best team he’s been a part of in Cincinnati.

Still, even as their defense has significantly improved in 2026—specifically along the front seven—thanks to offseason additions Dexter Lawrence II and Boye Mafe, Cincinnati has just the 13th-highest pressure rate (36.4%) and the 14th-most pressures (116). Adding Ebiketie, an experienced pass rusher with 129 total tackles, 16.5 sacks and four forced fumbles throughout his career, gives the Bengals another option off the edge as they prepare for a postseason push.

That said, while it looks like the Bengals only gave up a late-round pick to acquire him, it’s actually a bit more complicated. As OverTheCap’s Nick Korte outlined, Ebikete was signed by the Eagles as a compensatory free agent this offseason, and that status carries over to Cincinnati. As a result, when factored into the NFL’s CFA formula, the Bengals will now forfeit the 2027 third-round pick they otherwise would have received due to Trey Hendrickson’s signing with the Ravens this offseason.

Is Ebiketie worth a third-round, potentially top-100 pick in what’s supposed to be a loaded 2027 draft? I have a hard time thinking so.

Grade: C

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Eagles continue to sell amid 2–7 start to year

The Eagles are just 2–7 to begin the 2026 season. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Eagles have now lost seven consecutive games after a 2–0 start, and with quarterback Jalen Hurts out for the season due to blood clots—as well as Saquon Barkley, DeVonta Smith and Landon Dickerson, among others, all having dealt with injuries to begin the year—Philadelphia seemingly has its sights on 2027 and beyond.

While signing Ebikete made sense for the Eagles this offseason, they only signed the 27-year-old to a one-year deal—likely as a supplemental piece to the likes of Jalen Carter, Davis and Nolan Smith along their defensive line. Getting something in return for him, even if it’s just a sixth-round pick, rather than letting him walk away in free agency next March, is good business by Howie Roseman.

Philadelphia now holds 19(!) picks over the next two drafts, including four first-rounders thanks to Monday’s Davis deal and June’s A.J. Brown trade.

Grade: A-

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