
The Philadelphia Eagles have several talented players, headlined by Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown, Jalen Carter and DeVonta Smith.
But NFL analyst Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report doesn't think any of those stars are underpaid.
In a column called "Every NFL Team's Most Underpaid Player Following Peak 2026 Free Agency," Gagnon named Cooper DeJean the Eagles' most underpaid guy.
"The team's top two draft picks from 2024—Quinyon Mitchell and DeJean—have both become stars in the Philadelphia secondary. Mitchell is the higher pick and was probably a slightly more impactful player in 2025, but he'll cost the organization $4.0 million in '26 compared to just $2.5 million for DeJean."
DeJean finished the 2025 regular season with two interceptions, 16 passes defended, 64 solo tackles, four tackles for loss and one QB hit. He made his first Pro Bowl and All-Pro team.
"Obviously, it's a credit to the people around me and the players that we have," DeJean said. "When you're on a good team and you're winning a lot, things like that come with it. So, I get to be on a great defense, great team. It's a cool accomplishment.
"It's cool to get that recognition alongside Q obviously. What he's done this year and our defense as a whole, just the way we play. Cause if our defense wasn't good, I don't think we'd be getting voted for that."
The Eagles went 11-6 in the regular season. They won the NFC East again but lost to the San Francisco 49ers in the wild-card round of the 2026 NFL playoffs.
The good news for DeJean and the Eagles? DC Vic Fangio isn't going anywhere. There were rumors that Fangio would retire this offseason, but he's coming back for 2026.
Philadelphia's defense finished fifth in the NFL in scoring defense last season, giving up only 19.1 points per game. The Eagles' 56.8% completion percentage allowed led the league, while their 75.4 passer rating ranked second.
Under Fangio, Quinyon Mitchell and DeJean earned first-team All-Pro honors as two of the best defensive backs in the NFL.
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