Eagles Receive Concerning Update on Key Defensive Injury

The Philadelphia Eagles are desperately trying to take a significant step forward on the defensive end next season. After completely falling apart on that end of the ball last year, the Eagles hired Vic Fangio as the defensive coordinator and made the necessary additions to improve the roster. They signed Bryce Huff in free agency, brought back CJ Gardner-Johnson, and drafted Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean with their first two picks in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Unfortunately, DeJean was placed on the non-football injury list with a hamstring injury on July 23 with an initial timeline of three weeks. Two weeks later, there is no update on a timeline for his return, according to head coach Nick Sirianni.

Eagles News: Cooper DeJean Still Has No Return Timeline

As Sirianni admits, this is valuable time that DeJean is missing. The former All-American defender had suffered a broken leg last season, forcing him to end his final Iowa campaign early. The former Hawkeye spent the offseason recovering from his injury but this hamstring issue is another setback on his way to making his NFL debut.

DeJean is still around the team and the "mental reps" he is getting are obviously important. However, they can't replace actual on-the-field reps with his teammates.

The Eagles have high hopes for their rookie defender. Arguably the most versatile player on the team, DeJean is expected to be utilized in various roles, including at cornerback, nickel, safety, and the return game. Fangio has previously highlighted his desire to deploy the young defender in different positions.

With this injury sidelining him, it might take a while for the Eagles to fully trust DeJean. He will presumably miss the first two preseason games but will have a chance to return against the Vikings on August 24. Whether that will be enough reps to throw him out there in Week 1 against the Packers in Brazil remains to be seen.

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