The Philadelphia Eagles will be a bit banged up going into their Week 4 game against the Los Angeles Rams, but it could be the open-door opportunity wide receiver Darius Cooper needs to finally shine bright.
Philly's latest injury report saw wide receivers DeVonta Smith (hamstring) and Hollywood Brown (ankle) not practice for the second straight day. Both are now in jeopardy of missing the Rams game, with Smith potentially missing multiple weeks.
That is moving Dontayvion Wicks up as the new WR1, and every other receiver moving up. It's now a massive opportunity for Cooper to prove that he can be a starting wide receiver in the NFL when given the chance.
It's about time that Darius Cooper will be able to play for the Eagles
Cooper has been a fan favorite since coming into training camp last year as an undrafted rookie from Tarleton State. He impressed right away with a touchdown catch against the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2025 preseason opener, paving the way for him to make the 53-man roster. Cooper ended up catching nine passes for 92 yards.
This year has been different since Cooper, Smith, and Britain Covey were the only remaining receivers from last season's team to be on the roster in 2026. Cooper was expected to see an increase in his role on the team after another impressive training camp that gained praise from Jalen Hurts, Nick Sirianni, and others.
That hasn't quite been the case, but he did make a massive impact already in one of the games this season. As Eagles fans know, Cooper came up big in the 24-20 win over the Tennessee Titans, catching the game-winning touchdown with nine seconds left in the contest. He finished that game with two receptions for 26 yards and one touchdown, the only game in which he recorded offensive stats this season.
Cooper has actually made a bigger impact on special teams, showing that he is a great gunner on kickoff coverage. He has racked up eight total tackles, with six of them being solo tackles.
WIth Smith and Brown most likely going to be out for the Rams game, the Eagles have to play Cooper out there and that shouldn't be a problem. Cooper and Hurts have built great chemistry with each other over the last two years and the Eagles quarterback has trust in his young receiver.
Sure, this game could be more about Makai Lemon needing to step up as a starter and proving his first-round status. The reality is that Lemon has not been the impact player the Eagles were hoping for, as Hurts has been sticking with his trusted receivers. Cooper is on that list.
Read more: Jihaad Campbell & Jeremiah Trotter Jr. could complement each other in Eagles' lineup
This is a big opportunity for Cooper to show the NFL that he can be a starter in the league and Eagles offensive coordinator Sean Mannion needs to be playing him more. Watch out for Cooper to have a much bigger role in the offense against the Rams.
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