Cooper DeJean isn’t shying away from the idea of lining up across from A.J. Brown again.
The Philadelphia Eagles cornerback, who has quickly grown into one of the NFL’s better players at his position, said he’d welcome the matchup with his former teammate. When asked about the chance to face Brown, DeJean didn’t hesitate: "I would love to go against him. I know he'd love to go against us too, so it'd be a fun battle."
That showdown is set to come back into view soon. Brown was traded to the New England Patriots last month, which puts the two teams on a training camp collision course in August for two days of scrimmaging before their preseason game. It’ll be the first time the Eagles see Brown in another uniform since his Tennessee Titans days.
DeJean and Brown already know each other well from the last two seasons of Eagles practices, where the two went at it repeatedly. With both players operating at a high level, it’s the kind of matchup that naturally draws attention.
DeJean’s own rise has been hard to miss. Last season, he earned his first Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors while putting together a strong statistical line: 93 tackles, 16 pass deflections, four tackles for loss, two interceptions, one forced fumble and one quarterback hit in 16 games. He also held opponents to a 60.5 completion percentage and a 75.4 passer rating.
Now his role is set to expand even more. DeJean will continue working in the slot, but he’s also expected to take snaps at safety when the Eagles are in a "base" defense in 2026 and beyond.
Brown’s time in Philadelphia was just as impactful. Over four seasons with the Eagles, he piled up more than 5,000 receiving yards and helped reshape the offense. During that stretch, the team reached two Super Bowls and won one.
With Brown now gone and DeJean taking on a larger defensive load, the Eagles are moving into a new phase. But the anticipation for that camp matchup is already building, and fans won’t have to wait long to see DeJean and Brown go at it again.
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What makes this battle worth watching is the competition for the final safety snaps, where Marcus Epps, Michael Carter II, Andre Sam and Cole Wisniewski are all in the mix. There are other bodies on the roster who could get a look, and Howie Roseman has shown he is willing to keep adjusting if the room does not sort itself out quickly, which leaves this as one of the more unsettled spots on the defense entering camp. [Read more 🡒]