The Philadelphia Eagles aren’t seeing the same Cooper DeJean they watched last season.
In 2025, DeJean was crowned one of the best cornerbacks in the league. He was excellent in coverage, and his tackling was exceptional.
In 2026, DeJean has struggled to live up to that All-Pro run so far. While DeJean is far from the only player in the secondary to struggle this season, his timing is bad. The veteran cornerback is going to want to talk about a new deal soon.
If the Eagles want to invest big in DeJean when the time comes, they’ll certainly want to see more from him on the tackling front. That’s where his defensive coordinator, Vic Fangio, came to his defense.
Eagles Coach Makes Cooper DeJean Injury Suggestion Before Cowboys Game
Earlier in the season, DeJean dealt with a setback.
While the cornerback hasn’t missed any time this year, Vic Fangio believes that his injury concerns from early on are affecting his current state.
via Jeff McLane: #Eagles DT Vic Fangio mentioned that the stinger Cooper DeJean suffered earlier in the season could be why he hasn’t tackled as well this season. But he said he’s pleased with how DeJean has played this season.
via Word On Birds: Cooper DeJean’s coverage grade of 51.2 ranks 235 out of 310 defensive backs this season.
via Cayden Steele: Cooper DeJean has struggled with tackling this season. According to PFF, he has missed 13. That was supposed to be the strength of his game. He will need to play better over the next two months to raise his contract value.
Tackling issues aside, Fangio has praised DeJean for his play this season more often than not. Obviously, the defensive coordinator wouldn’t throw his star corner under the bus, but it’s worth noting that the defense might still be pleased with his play, even if it’s not at his usual high level.
The 23-year-old former second-round pick has appeared in six games this season. DeJean has racked up 39 tackles and snatched an interception during the Week 4 loss against the Los Angeles Rams.
Barring any unexpected changes, DeJean should be back in action for the Eagles’ Week 7 game against the Dallas Cowboys.
