Across the last couple of days. a sad revelation has set in for Atlanta Falcons fans. Arnold Ebiketie was always looked at as a long shot to stay in free agency, but after the Falcons signed both Azeez Ojulari and Samson Ebukam to shore up their pass-rushing depth, his departure became inevitable.
Unfortunately, that was just made official on Thursday night, as Adam Schefter reported that Ebiketie is planning to sign a one-year deal worth up to $7.3 million with the Philadelphia Eagles, which came with $4.3 million guaranteed. And for a guy who was being phased out in Atlanta, that's a good deal.
Not only do the Eagles desperately need upside off the edge, they're the one team in the NFL that can afford to take dart throws on a guy like Ebiketie. The 27-year-old had great pressure numbers, and Vic Fangio is the defensive coordinator who thrives in reviving the careers of forgotten edges.
Arnold Ebiketie is leaving the Atlanta Falcons to ingeniously sign a one-year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles
Not only will Ebiketie be returning to the Keystone State after spending time at Penn State, he's entering a far better situation. He now join a defense with a surplus of talent, and playing alongside Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter on the defensive line is the perfect recipe for a career turnaround.
It will be impossible for offenses to double team him, especially with Zack Baun and Jihaad Campbell at linebacker. There's just too much star power for Ebiketie to not make an impact on the defense in some way, especially since he had a pair of six-sack seasons for the Dirty Birds in 2023 and 2024.
The issue for the Eagles the last couple years has been at edge rusher. Bryce Huff was traded (and just retired), Haason Reddick was a basket case, Brandon Graham is ready for the retirement home, and Josh Sweat signed a big deal in Arizona. In 2025, they struggled because they had no pass rush.
And if they thing there's untapped potential with Ebiketie, this signing makes sense. Churning talent out of nowhere or turning an ex-high draft pick into a solid NFL player is Fangio's bread and butter, which is why their defenses have often been the most dominant in the NFL in the last half-decade.
Even though he never morphed into the star Falcons fans were expecting when he was drafted in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft, Ebiketie is going to be missed by this defense. So hopefully he is able to capitalize on the quasi-swap with Ojulari and enjoy his second lease on life in Philadelphia and prove he still could be that player.