PHILADELPHIA - Cooper DeJean is running into an ugly kind of momentum shift at exactly the wrong time.
After a dominant 2025 season that earned him first-team All-Pro honors, the Eagles defensive back was supposed to be building toward a massive extension. Instead, his play this year has opened the door to a smaller payday if he doesn’t turn it around over the next two months. The market for elite cornerbacks and safeties is pushing past $25 million per season, and DeJean hasn’t looked like he belongs in that tier lately.
Sunday’s 25-14 loss to the Carolina Panthers was another rough showing. According to Pro Football Focus, DeJean missed three tackles and allowed three catches for 51 yards and a touchdown.
It was part of a broader stretch of trouble in run support and after the catch, with DeJean missing 13 tackles through the first six weeks of the season. He entered Week 6 leading the league with 10 missed tackles.
The Eagles needed a nearly flawless defensive effort to steal the game, and they didn’t get it. DeJean’s mistakes were part of the problem, even as other defenders also gave up chunk plays.
After the game, DeJean didn’t dodge the issue.
“Yeah, I don’t know,” DeJean said after the game about why he’s struggling to tackle this season. “I just got to find ways to get guys down.
Part of it is different angles, where I’m hitting the guys. But I have no doubt that I’m going to continue to work on that and fix that.”
The Eagles have also shifted him into more safety work, and that added responsibility may be playing a role. Still, DeJean wasn’t interested in using that as a shield.
“Yeah, yeah, different position, but that’s not really an excuse to use,” DeJean said about missing a few tackles while playing safety. “I still got to be able to tackle better and get guys to the ground.”
The Panthers sealed the game with 6:39 left in the fourth quarter on another touchdown that appeared to land on DeJean. Tommy Tremble slipped past him for a 19-yard score in the back of the end zone, and DeJean said the play came down to a miscommunication in the secondary. Cornerback Riq Woolen was also in that area.
The bigger picture has gotten rough fast. DeJean said it plainly: “I don’t think I’ve ever lost this many games in any sport I’ve played in a row,” DeJean said. “So it’s pretty frustrating.”
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