
Cooper DeJean had a tough sophomore season ahead of him, no matter what he tried to do about it. It's hard to beat a rookie campaign after he ended things with a 38-yard pick-six against the best quarterback in the NFL.
While his Philadelphia Eagles failed to defend their Super Bowl title, he had a solid season himself. He finished the 2026 campaign with two interceptions for 32 yards. His Pro Bowl and First Team All-Pro inclusions point to an exciting professional career for the 23-year-old Iowa product.
However, the team's failure to make a deep postseason run means that GM Howie Roseman had to make tough decisions about the roster. One such choice involves a fan favorite and a good friend of DeJean's leaving Philly.
Reed Blankenship was bound to get a bag after his impressive four-year stint with the Eagles. The 26-year-old safety out of Middle Tennessee State is prolific for the Eagles, catching nine interceptions for 50 yards, 23 pass deflections and one forced fumble in his four years at the Lincoln Financial Field.
The Eagles failed to keep him on the roster as the Houston Texans swept him off the free agent market with a four-year, $24.75 million deal. This leaves Philly scrambling to find a replacement for the talented safety.
DeJean took to X to express his sadness about his now-former teammate's departure. "Damn, gonna miss my dog," he wrote. "Go be great brotha."
Damn, gonna miss my dawg. Go be great brotha❤️ https://t.co/UUiJFUFieX
— Cooper DeJean (@cooperdejean) March 9, 2026
DeJean still has two years left on his four-year, $9.283 million rookie deal, so the Eagles don't have to stress too much about his future just yet. However, he will demand top dollar if he continues performing at a high level.
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