Marquise “Hollywood” Brown is on his way out in Philadelphia, and that could clear the runway for Darius Cooper in a big way.
NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported that the Eagles are waiving Brown after they were unable to move him at the deadline. The two sides reportedly agreed it was best to split. Brown’s season never really took off anyway, with just five catches for 63 yards and two carries for 12 yards.
His departure leaves the Eagles thin at wide receiver, especially with DeVonta Smith and Dontayvion Wicks both hurt and out for the last three games. That shortage makes Cooper look even more important in the weeks ahead.
And Cooper has already given Philadelphia enough flashes to make the team pay attention.
He delivered his first career touchdown in dramatic fashion, catching the game-winner with less than 10 seconds left in the Eagles’ 24-20 victory over the Tennessee Titans in Week 2. A couple weeks later, in Week 4 against the Los Angeles Rams, he found the end zone twice in the first half, though the Eagles still lost. Then came the 62-yard touchdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London the next week, even if that game ended badly too.
Since that London performance, though, Cooper has mostly disappeared from the offense. Over that stretch, he has been targeted 19 times and caught only six passes for 70 yards.
For the season, Cooper has 13 receptions on 32 targets for 200 yards and a team-high four touchdowns, averaging 15.4 yards per catch. The production has been uneven, but the upside is still obvious.
The catch rate is the glaring issue. Among receivers with at least 30 targets, Cooper’s 40.6% catch rate is the worst in the NFL. He has two dropped passes this season, while the rest of his incompletions have come on off-target throws.
The quarterback situation hasn’t helped. Cooper has already worked with three different passers, and none of them have completed more than 64% of their throws.
Even so, the path is there for more opportunity. Smith and Wicks may not be back this season, and with the Eagles sitting at 2-7, the team could decide to shut them down. That would leave Cooper in position to open things up alongside rookie Makai Lemon and Elijah Moore.
At 6-foot-4, Cooper also gives the Eagles something they can use near the goal line.
Philadelphia came into the year hoping for more after Cooper’s strong training camp and early-season surge, but the offense’s instability has slowed everything down. Instead of building on that momentum, he’s been trying to sync up with quarterbacks who are still searching for rhythm themselves.
Now the bye week gives the Eagles a chance to reset, and it gives Cooper more time to work with new starting quarterback Joe Milton III. The hope is that the second half looks a lot different than the first. With Brown gone and the receiver room stretched thin, the Eagles may not have much choice but to lean into Cooper and let him go to work.
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