Everything is starting to make a ton of sense after star cornerback Cooper DeJean's injury in the Philadelphia Eagles' 24-22 win over the Washington Commanders in Week 1.
DeJean arguably played the worst game of his career, allowing seven receptions and a passer rating of 142.1. Pro Football Focus gave him an overall grade of 37.6, ranking him 86th out of 91 cornerbacks. He finished the game with eight tackles and one quarterback hit.
Well, it turns out that DeJean got hurt in the Commanders game, according to Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. DeJean was seen at practice in sweats and did not practice for Philly, leaving open the possibility that they should 100% consider him.
Cooper DeJean is not practicing today
— Brooks Kubena (@BKubena) September 16, 2026
Eagles might have to help Cooper DeJean by sitting him in Week 2
Everyone knows how great DeJean is, so watching him struggle so much against Commanders receivers he can shut down in his sleep was confusing. It now makes sense that he was not healthy, and it should lead to him not playing in Week 2 against the Tennessee Titans.
The reality is that the Titans have zero momentum going into the game after losing to the New York Jets in Week 1. Tennessee only had 195 total yards and threw for 127 yards. Against the Jets.
If there is a game to have DeJean sit, this is the one. Philly has a critical Monday Night Football game in Week 3 against the Chicago Bears, and DeJean needs to play. That Bears team just racked up over 500 yards and 59 points, so the Eagles' defense needs to be at full strength.
The depth in the Eagles' secondary should be good enough that they will be fine. Michael Carter II would most likely be the next man up, and he can absolutely play in the slot.
Carter was a starter in that role with the Jets before the Eagles traded for him last year. Carter is coming off a fantastic training camp, where he nearly pushed himself to beat out Marcus Epps for a starting safety job. He might not have won it, but Carter earned Fangio's and the coaching staff's respect.
No disrespect to the Titans, but the Eagles could still win this game without a few starters. DeJean is a great talent and too valuable to the team to bench. Philly has enough talent to take down Tennessee with relative ease.
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This week should be a rest week for DeJean, so he can recover before playing next week against the Bears. If DeJean plays in Week 2 and his injury worsens, the fan base will have major issues. They don't need to do what they did with Landon Dickerson and put him on IR; they need to protect DeJean at all costs and let him rest.
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