Day 1 of the NFL's legal tampering period was not an easy one for the Philadelphia Eagles fan base.
The Eagles did not sign a single player and saw four free agents leave for other teams. Some of those big names include Jaelan Phillips to the Carolina Panthers, Jahan Dotson to the Atlanta Falcons, and Nakobe Dean to the Las Vegas Raiders.
One other name that seemed to hit the fan base harder than the others was safety Reed Blankenship, who will sign a three-year, $24.75 million contract with $16 million guaranteed with the Houston Texans. This one was tough to watch, but it was even tougher on his now former teammate Cooper DeJean.
Cooper DeJean's emotional post regarding Reed Blankenship
After the news broke about Blankenship's departure, DeJean took to social media, reposting the news with a message to his former teammate and friend.
"Damn, gonna miss my dawg. Go be great brotha❤️"
DeJean and Blankenship have been in the same secondary for the last two years, and they have been nicknamed "The Exciting Whites." That nickname led the two to create a podcast together called "The Exciting Mics," which features them discussing a variety of topics and bringing guests onto the show.
Blankenship is one of the great stories to come out of Philly, as he was an undrafted free agent out of Middle Tennessee State in 2022 and quickly became a starter on the team. For the last three years, he has started at safety for the Eagles, playing a key role in the team's Super Bowl win in the 2024 season.
Read more: Eagles' inactivity on Day 1 of legal tampering period proves to be massive gamble
While Blankenship heads off to Houston, DeJean is still kicking it in the secondary as one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL coming off an All-Pro season in 2025. The Eagles' star corner should have a long career ahead of him in the slot.