The Eagles and Bengals had a deal lined up Tuesday morning for Arnold Ebiketie, then watched it collapse before it could become official.
Philadelphia agreed to send the edge rusher to Cincinnati for a 2027 sixth-round pick, but a league source confirmed to NBC Sports Philadelphia that the trade fell apart. The twist is that the move would have come with a bigger cost for the Bengals than just the draft pick going out the door.
The deal apparently would have wiped out a third-round compensatory pick Cincinnati was set to receive in 2027 after losing Trey Hendrickson to Baltimore. As Nick Korte noted, the Bengals lost three compensatory free agents and signed two, with Cordell Volson not qualifying, leaving them in position to gain a 2027 sixth-rounder while giving up that projected third-round comp pick.
Unless Philadelphia can find another team willing to take Ebiketie, he’ll remain with the Eagles after a trade that never quite stuck. The Eagles still do not have a sixth-round pick in the 2027 draft.
Ebiketie, 27, signed with Philadelphia this offseason on a one-year deal and has appeared in all nine games this year. He has logged 300 snaps, or 48 percent of the team’s total at edge rusher, which ranks third on the roster at the position behind Nolan Smith, who has 359 snaps, and Jalyx Hunt, who has 317.
With Jonathan Greenard healthier, the Eagles expect him to take on a larger role down the stretch. That leaves the rest of the 2026 edge rotation set to include Smith, Hunt, Greenard, Ebiketie, A.J.
Epenesa and rookie Keyshawn James-Newby, who has been on the practice squad. If Ebiketie had been moved, James-Newby was likely headed for more playing time.
On the field, Ebiketie has 25 tackles and 2 QB hits this season, but no sacks. He has also struggled against the run.
The Eagles are still projected to have nine picks in the 2027 draft: their own first-rounder, a first-round pick from the Jaguars, their own second-rounder, a projected third-round compensatory pick, their own fourth-rounder, their own fifth-rounder, fifth-round picks from the Ravens and Patriots, and a seventh-round pick from the Cowboys.
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