The Philadelphia Eagles beat the Cincinnati Bengals 34-27 in their preseason opener on Thursday night. While getting a win is a nice feeling, wins in the preseason don't mean much. These games are meant to evaluate the roster and see who earns a roster spot, a practice squad spot, or gets cut.
That said, one Eagles receiver may have sealed his fate through no fault of his own against the Bengals. Right before halftime, third-year receiver Elijah Cooks was carted off with an injury.
On Friday morning, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Cooks suffered a shoulder injury and will undergo an MRI on Friday. If Cook's injury is serious, it will have a massive impact on his chances of staying with the Eagles.
#Eagles WR Elijah Cooks suffered a shoulder injury and will undergo an MRI today, an NFL source said.
— Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) August 8, 2025
He was having a nice training camp before this setback — extent TBD. https://t.co/piZlaQQJsn
Elijah Cooks Time in Philly Could be Coming to an End Following Injury
Cooks entered the first preseason game with fans excited after putting together a nice start to training camp. The 26-year-old has made multiple impressive grabs in practice, including one in the red zone earlier this week. However, prior to leaving the field on Thursday, Cooks had yet to record a single target.
His lack of targets, along with the injury, don't point in a good direction for Cooks. In his absence, Philadelphia saw multiple receivers fighting for the same spot Cooks is trying to earn play well. The player who stood out the most was undrafted free agent Darius Cooper from Tarleton State.
At 5'11' 210 pounds, Cooper ran a 4.49-second 40-yard dash. While that's not elite speed, it is something Eagles fans saw put to use on Thursday. Cooper caught a beautiful 20-yard touchdown pass from Tanner McKee, where he used his speed to slightly separate from the defensive back.
Football is fun :) pic.twitter.com/xlFMDVbiAL
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) August 8, 2025
Along with that catch, the 23-year-old logged five additional catches on six more targets for 82 yards. Moreover, second-year pro Johnny Wilson also showed promise. Wilson, a 6-foot-6 target, used his frame to make some good catches.
The 24-year-old finished his day with three catches on six targets for 73 yards. Although he had one drop, his ability to use his body to make plays can provide a reason for the Eagles to keep him another season.
Given these two performances, it's hard to see Cooks making the roster or practice squad if his injury is serious. For Cook's sake, hopefully, the MRI comes back negative, or he may be on another team in 2026.