5 things to know about new Eagles edge rusher Arnold Ebiketie, from his Philly past to his Joel Embiid connection

Late Thursday, the Eagles and outside linebacker Arnold Ebiketie agreed on a one-year deal reportedly worth up to $7.3 million, with $4.3 million guaranteed.

The signing came after the Eagles lost edge rusher Jaelan Phillips to the Carolina Panthers earlier in free agency and missed out on defensive ends Maxx Crosby and Trey Hendrickson.

Ebiketie just finished a four-year stint with the Atlanta Falcons. The 27-year-old was drafted by the Falcons with the 38th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft out of Penn State.

» READ MORE: 2026 Eagles free agency tracker: All the Birds’ signings, trades, and other roster moves

The Eagles also lost pass rushers Joshua Uche and Azeez Ojulari in free agency to the Miami Dolphins and Falcons, respectively. Ebiketie, who is 6-foot-2, 250 pounds, is the beginning of general manager Howie Roseman’s work to fill their departures.

Ebiketie is not a common last name, which makes it difficult to pronounce.

The correct pronunciation of his name is ‘ebb-uh-KAY-tee,’ according to Pro Football Reference.

Before his one-year stint with Penn State, Ebiketie was a standout defensive end at Philadelphia’s own Temple University.

He spent four years with Temple, and totaled 59 tackles (42 solo), 10½ tackles for loss, six sacks, and three forced fumbles in 25 games.

With Temple playing its home games at Lincoln Financial Field, Ebiketie will do it again with the Eagles.

» READ MORE: It’s time to admit what the Eagles have been telling us all along during this free agency period | David Murphy

Ebiketie was born in Yaoundé, Cameroon, which is also Sixers star center Joel Embiid’s hometown. The two are now both part of the Philadelphia sports scene.

Ebiketie emigrated with his family to the United States when he was 13 years old. His father’s job forced the move, and Ebiketie’s family ended up in Silver Spring, Md.

During the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine, Ebiketie was asked if he had ever met Embiid. At the time, he had not.

“Hopefully one day I get to,” Ebiketie said to reporters at the event.

That meeting might happen sooner rather than later.

Despite being a professional American football player, Ebiketie’s sports career began with soccer while he was growing up in Cameroon.

Cameroon has a deep history with soccer. The Cameroon men’s national team has qualified for the FIFA World Cup eight times, the most in Africa. In 1990, Cameroon became the first African team to reach the World Cup quarterfinals.

It makes sense that he was drawn to the sport — Embiid also grew up playing soccer in Cameroon.

It was not until Ebiketie moved to the U.S. and went to Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville, Maryland, that he played American football. Ebiketie gave up soccer because he wanted to be competitive with the other guys in high school, and a majority of them played basketball or football.

» READ MORE: New Eagles CB Riq Woolen is ready to get his Philly career started. He has a lot at stake in 2026.

He then transferred to Albert Einstein High School in Kensington, Maryland, at the beginning of his sophomore year. During his senior football season, he recorded 21½ sacks and 36 tackles for a loss, earning him Co-Defensive Player of the Year and First-Team All-Sentinel honors.

Ebiketie’s production took a hit last season, as he played just 35% of the Falcons’ defensive snaps, compared to 49% the season prior. However, he finished with a 16.4% pressure rate in 2025, which was the second-highest of his career.

He also made sure to raise his free agency stock to close out the 2025 season. Ebiketie was given a 90.0 Pro Football Focus grade in Week 16 of the 2025 season. During that week, he led the Falcons and ranked third among all edge rushers.

Across four seasons in Atlanta, Ebiketie totaled 16½ sacks, 129 total tackles, and 41 quarterback hits across 67 games.