Eagles Sign Arnold Ebiketie to Replace Jaelan Phillips After Free-Agency Exit

Philadelphia moved quickly to patch the hole left on the edge, agreeing to a one-year, $7.3 million contract with former Falcons outside linebacker Arnold Ebiketie, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The deal guarantees Ebiketie $4.3 million and positions him as the early front-runner to absorb the snaps vacated by Jaelan Phillips, who stunned the organization by accepting a four-year, $130 million offer from the Panthers in free agency.

Ebiketie, 27, returns to familiar territory after beginning his college career at Temple, where he posted 4 sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss during the Owls’ 2020 campaign. He parlayed a breakout season at Penn State into a second-round selection by Atlanta in 2022. Across four professional seasons Ebiketie has accumulated 16.5 sacks in 67 games, including back-to-back six-sack efforts in 2023 and 2024. His production dipped to just 2 sacks in 2025, yet he still finished 10th league-wide in quarterback pressure rate (16.4%) among players with at least 150 pass-rush snaps, per Next Gen Stats.

The Eagles envision Ebiketie sliding into the third or fourth spot on the edge rotation behind starters who remain unnamed in team communications. While the Temple product offers immediate depth, the front office has not ruled out swinging a blockbuster trade for Vikings pass rusher Jonathan Greenard or investing a premium draft pick to fortify the position.

Philadelphia’s pass rush now hinges on a collective approach rather than a singular star, with Ebiketie’s familiarity with the city’s football culture and his proven ability to generate pressures providing a short-term bridge. Whether that proves sufficient in the ultra-competitive NFC East will determine how aggressively the club pursues another marquee name before training camp opens.