The Philadelphia Eagles pulled out a gutsy 24-22 win over the Washington Commanders. Securing division wins is always great, but by any accounts, it wasn't the prettiest win for the Eagles. Cornerback Cooper DeJean arguably had the worst game of his career.
Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels consistently looked in his direction and found success. DeJean allowed seven catches (nine targets) for 83 yards and a score against Stefon Diggs in the red zone. DeJean allowed five first downs and gave up 30 yards after the catch.
There's no question that DeJean must play better, but this doesn't mean the sky is falling around the young corner.
Cooper DeJean struggled vs. Commanders, but Eagles shouldn't panic
During the 2024 and 2025 seasons, DeJean was an elite corner for this team. He lined up in the slot and had suffocating receivers, while also being fantastic as a run defender. Just last year, DeJean earned Pro Bowl and First Team All-Pro honors.
That's nothing to sneeze at and shows how talented a player he is. There's no doubting that DeJean's outing against the Commanders was unacceptable, and he knows it. Both Diggs and rookie receiver Antonio Williams beat DeJean on routes that attacked the middle of the field.
His leverage and play recognition skills were off, but he's the kind of player who takes that personally in the film room and on the field. It's also important to note that this is only Week 1.
Most players don't get many live reps between preseason and joint practices. Training camp reps are definitely important, yet nothing compares to getting on the field and going up against another team. As time goes on, DeJean will be more comfortable out there and play like the cornerback that everyone knows.
He's in a contract year and if he wants to get paid, he will need to elevate his play. And the odds are he will. The touchdown he allowed in the slot was the first of his career, showing how lights-out he's been in the NFL.
Cornerback is one of the hardest positions in the league, so you'll have bad games sometimes. That was DeJean in Week 1, and it's better that it happened early rather than later.
Overall, the Eagles' pass defense was stellar, holding Daniels to just 164 passing yards. Given that fellow corners Quinyon Mitchell and Riq Woolen gave up only 16 yards in coverage, it put an even bigger spotlight on DeJean.
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It wasn't pretty for the Iowa product, but that happens in the NFL sometimes. Fans shouldn't be too concerned about DeJean, as he has a strong chance to bounce back and looks like the corner he was over the last two years.
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