Former Penn State defensive lineman Arnold Ebiketie has officially inked his rookie contract with the Atlanta Falcons, the team announced Wednesday afternoon.

Ebiketie’s four-year deal is worth an estimated $9.69 million, with a $1.76 million hit against Atlanta’s salary cap in 2022. The Nittany Lion received a nearly $3.6 million signing bonus as part of the contract’s terms, according to Spotrac.

The man known as “AK” was selected with the No. 38 overall pick by the Falcons in the 2022 NFL Draft. Atlanta obtained the pick after trading second and fourth-round picks with the New York Giants in order to pick Ebiketie.

It was announced in May that Ebiketie will wear the No. 47 for the Falcons. With the Falcons, Ebiketie is expected to be an immediate help to his team’s porous defensive line, which claimed a league-worst 18 sacks over the entire 2021 season.

In his single season in Happy Valley, the graduate transfer from Temple was a major contributor to Brent Pry’s defense. Ebiketie finished the year with 62 tackles (including a Big Ten-high 18 for a loss) and a team-high 9.5 sacks, as well as first-team All-Big Ten honors.

The self-proclaimed Doctor of the Pass Rush will open the NFL season at home against the division rival New Orleans Saints on September 11.

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Sam Fremin

Sam is a senior from Ashburn, Virginia, majoring in journalism and political science & minoring in German and creative writing. He is a Dallas Cowboys fan who relishes the misery of Eagles fans. All hate messages can be sent to [email protected] or @SamFremin on Twitter.

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