The Pittsburgh Steelers have a few more hours to make roster additions before the league’s trade deadline. Pittsburgh’s next opponent, though, has already made one.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday morning the Cincinnati Bengals acquired edge rusher Arnold Ebiketie. The Bengals landed the edge rusher from the Philadelphia Eagles for a Day 3 selection.
“Sources: The Eagles aren’t done, trading edge Arnold Ebiketie to the Bengals in exchange for 2027 sixth-round pick,” wrote Rapoport.
Fellow NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported the Bengals were shopping for an edge rusher for more than a week. Ebiketie fit the profile for what Cincinnati desired.
“The Bengals were active in pass-rush market over the last week, looking for a mid-tier addition to help their rotation,” wrote Schultz on X.
“They’re sending a 2027 sixth-round pick to Philadelphia for Arnold Ebiketie, who brings 16.5 sacks.”
Ebiketie will have roughly five days to get ready for the Steelers. While that’s not a lot of time, Pittsburgh will now have to prepare for the extra edge rusher on the Bengals sideline.
With the Eagles, Ebiketie had 25 combined tackles and two quarterback hits before the trade.
Bengals Acquire Edge Rusher Arnold Ebiketie: Report
Cincinnati entered Tuesday with defense as the team’s most obvious weakness. After Week 9, the Bengals sit ranked 25th in total yards allowed, including 21st versus the pass and 25th against the run.
Ebiketie could help in those areas and strengthen one of the better parts of Cincinnati’s defense. The Bengals are 10th in the league with 23 sacks.
The Atlanta Falcons selected Ebiketie at No. 38 overall in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft. At the time, the Falcons were hoping Ebiketie would develop into the team’s top edge rusher.
That never happened. He’s not a game-wrecker, but Ebiketie is a solid contributor as a rotational player and spot starter.
During his best seasons in Atlanta from 2023-24, the 27-year-old averaged six sacks with 4.5 tackles for loss and 12 quarterback hits per season. Last year, he had 36 combined tackles, including five for loss with six quarterback hits, two sacks and one pass defense.
Once fully acclimated to Cincinnati, Ebiketie will support Bengals starting edge rushers Boye Mafe and Myles Murphy.
Will Steelers Make Defensive Addition Too?
The Steelers probably don’t see the Ebiketie addition as something they have to match. But Mike McCarthy’s club entered Tuesday with areas on defense they could address before the trade deadline.
Pittsburgh’s defense has tremendous depth along the defensive line and edge rusher. The Steelers also appear pretty set at linebacker. But the team could use extra secondary depth.
If the Steelers make a significant trade deadline move, it will probably be for a wide receiver. But the team could add a cornerback or safety in a similar mid-tier acquisition as Ebiketie is for the Bengals.
The NFL trade deadline is 4 pm ET on Tuesday. The Steelers will face the Bengals on Sunday night in Cincinnati. Kickoff is set for 8:20 pm ET.
Steelers Need to Prepare for New Bengals Edge Rusher After NFL Trade Deadline Move