This offseason I have been writing about the next big contracts at each position, but with the news Vic Fangio recently dropped on the Exciting Whites Podcast that Cooper DeJean is moving almost full time to safety, we need to talk about his next contract right now. Why? Because safeties don’t make nearly as much as corners.
Cooper Corner
When the Eagles double dipped on corners in the 2024 draft with Q and Coop, it felt a lot like 2002 when Lito Sheppard and Sheldon Brown were taken and locked down the sidelines for the next 7 years together. However, due to Darius Slay still being on the team, a late start, and his athleticism, Coop played the slot. Since most teams are regularly in 3 WR sets, this was an ideal lineup and the Eagles won the Super Bowl.
With so much success doing that in 2024, the Eagles ran it back in 2025. Unfortunately, Adoree Jackson was no Darius Slay and the arrangement suffered. Instead of moving Coop to the outside full time in 2026, the plan was to sign outside corner Tariq Woolen to man that spot while Coop focuses on playing a hybrid nickel/safety role. The reason is that while he is still doing a podcast with Coop, Reed Blankenship was allowed to walk in free agency. With Andrew Mukuba as the only high-end guy manning the safety room, the Eagles need Coop back there. Now with Fangio saying he hopes DeJean’s days at corner are numbered, I have to ask the question of how that affects his earning power going forward.
The Market
Corners make more than safeties and it’s not even close. Trent McDuffie, Sauce Gardner, and Derek Stingley have all jumped the corner market to $30m+ per season and Devon Witherspoon is about to top them all. There are currently 8 CB contracts over $90m in total value. As for Safeties? Only Derwin James and Kyle Hamilton are over $25m per season and only Hamilton has a total value of $100m. Topping one market is not the same as topping the other.
The elephant in the room though is Coop’s teammate and fellow 2024 draftee Quinyon Mitchell. Like DeJean, he is eligible for an extension next offseason as well. Their resumes are awfully similar through their first two seasons: starters for a Super Bowl Champion, 1st Team All Pros, Pro Bowlers, and 2nd and 4th place finishes for Defensive ROY.
With another good season ahead of him, Q is a lock to top whatever market topping deal Devon Witherspoon is about to sign. My guess is something in the $35m per season range. Let’s say both grab All Pro selections but Q does it at CB and Coop does it at safety. It’s going to be pretty shitty if Coop gets a $25m per year deal while Q is closer to $35m just because the Eagles needed a safety.
I’m not even going to entertain the slot corner market because Kyler Gordon and his 3/$40m extension will simply not be a comp for DeJean. As an agent, I would not even listen to a negotiation that included that narrative.
What Happens?
So far, Coop seems to be taking the moves in stride with nothing but smiles and good sound bites. This is either just the kind of person he is or the Eagles have told his agent they would take care of him. I’m kind of leaning toward the latter. Considering how close their careers are, I find it hard to believe the Eagles would court animosity in the locker room by playing hardball with Coop after giving Q all the money. In fact, I can see Coop’s agent waiting out the Q contract and then saying, “I’ll have what he’s having.”
They will probably not get identical contracts (like the Minnesota Wild did back in the day for Zach Parise and Ryan Suter1), but Coop should definitely use Q is a starting point to advance the safety market. Brian Branch may have been in the position to do that himself this offseason with the Lions, but with his season ending injury, he is in no position to ask for the moon from Detroit this season, but next year is a possibility. Maybe Antoine Winfield reups with Tampa? If I am them though, I wait to see what happens in Philadelphia.
The Eagles do not like to screw around with lowballing star players or waiting to extend them. Jeff Lurie is not Jerry Jones. For that reason, I think full-time safety Cooper DeJean ends up propelling every measure of the market with a 4/$120m deal. That $30m AAV puts him with the big boys of the CB market and only just behind his teammate.
- The duo signed identical 13/$98m contracts with the Wild then were both bought out for the same amounts on the same day 9 years later. ↩︎
Contract Info: Spotrac
Philly Front Office 
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