The Cincinnati Bengals made a trade for Philadelphia Eagles edge rusher Arnold Ebiketie for a 2027 sixth-round pick. While the trade gives the Bengals needed depth, it also opens the door for them to trade former first-round pick Shemar Stewart.
While the team has said they were not planning to trade Stewart, head coach Zac Taylor also said he did not expect the team to be active at the trade deadline. Taylor could have been trying to preserve the confidence in his former first-rounder. Now that the team added Ebiketie, the potential to deal Stewart has gone up.
Cincinnati Bengals Could Deal Shemar Stewart After Arnold Ebiketie Trade
Stewart was inactive two weeks ago as he was struggling to develop and see the field. He did not record a sack in his rookie season, and the team signed Boye Mafe in free agency as well as drafted Cashius Howell in round 2.
Stewart was hurt in training camp, and the two new additions quickly jumped him. Mafe joined Myles Murphy as a starter, and Howell stepped in as their third rusher. Cedric Johnson is a special teams asset, so he took over as the fourth edge rusher. That gave Stewart no role.
The Bengals even made Stewart active in Week 9, but he was behind Johnson in the defensive rotation. Johnson only played 12 snaps, while Stewart played seven.
Ebiketie is not a big name. However, the former second-round pick does have 300 snaps this season, and he played 25 last week. He also has 2,128 snaps in his NFL career. In his career, he has 16.5 sacks in six seasons. He has a career-high of six, but that came back in 2024.
He had two sacks for the Atlanta Falcons last year and has not recorded a sack despite all of those snaps this year. Still, he has more pressures this year than Johnson and Stewart have combined.
With Howell out, the Bengals will lean on Ebiketie as their third edge rusher. When Howell comes back, he will be the fourth. Johnson would stay active due to special teams, so Stewart might not have any role, regardless of Howell’s health status.
Bengals Could Trade Shemar Stewart
Stewart is not working out and the team has shown every signal that they do not plan to let him work through it on the field. The issue is that he is a raw player and needs to get some experience. So, the Bengals’ best bet is to trade him. Other teams likely viewed him as recently as last year around the NFL Draft.
If a team wants to swing on the upside, it could get them draft capital to make another move. Or, they can upgrade with the Ebiketie trade and get more back from the Stewart trade.
All of a sudden, it would look foolish if the team did not move Stewart. The trade deadline is at 4 PM, so we will see what happens.
Bengals Arnold Ebiketie Trade Opens Door For Bigger Move