Eagles’ Arnold Ebiketie trade could put Bengals’ 2025 first-round pick's future in doubt

The Philadelphia Eagles are sending edge rusher Arnold Ebiketie to the Cincinnati Bengals in return for a 2027 sixth-round draft pick. NFL insider Ian Rapoport broke the news on Tuesday through a post on X.

"Sources: The #Eagles aren't done, trading edge Arnold Ebiketie to the #Bengals in exchange for 2027 6th round pick. "

The move gives Cincinnati additional depth along its defensive front while potentially raising questions about the future of former first-round selection Shemar Stewart. The defensive end was left inactive two weeks ago as he continued to struggle for playing time and establish himself within the rotation.

Given his limited opportunities, Cincinnati could consider moving on from Stewart through a trade.

Stewart failed to record a sack during his rookie campaign, while Cincinnati has since strengthened its pass-rushing unit by signing Boye Mafe in free agency and selecting Cashius Howell in the second round of the draft.

An injury during training camp further complicated Stewart's position.

The arrivals of Mafe and Howell quickly affected the team's defensive depth chart, with Mafe joining Myles Murphy as a starting edge rusher and Howell taking on the role of the third option.

Cedric Johnson's contribution on special teams has also helped secure his place as the fourth edge rusher, leaving Stewart without a clearly defined role in the rotation.

With Howell currently unavailable, Ebiketie is expected to provide another option as Cincinnati's third edge rusher.

However, once Howell returns, he could move into the fourth spot, while Johnson is likely to remain active because of his special teams contributions. That could leave Stewart further down the pecking order, regardless of Howell's availability.

Other teams may still be willing to take a chance on the former first-round pick, who attracted considerable attention during the NFL Draft last year.

A franchise interested in his potential could view a trade as an opportunity to acquire a young defensive prospect, while the Bengals could potentially receive draft capital to use in a subsequent roster move.