After two incredible seasons on and off the Philadelphia Eagles' football field, the “Exciting Whites” are no more.
That's right, after taking the league, the WWE, and the podcasting game by storm, the next time Cooper DeJean and Reed Blankenship take the field together during an NFL game, it will be as opponents, with the long-time starting safety signing a three-year, $24.75 million contract with the Houston Texans on the first day of the legal tampering window.
Taking to social media for a bittersweet congratulations to his now-former teammate, DeJean toasted Blankenship, even if he will miss him weekly.
“D**n, gonna miss my dawg,” DeJean stated. “Go be great brotha.”
A true success story of the Eagles' player development system, Blankenship came to the City of Brotherly Love as a relatively unheralded defensive back out of Middle Tennessee, landing a contract with just a $5,000 signing bonus after going undrafted in 2022. Though he only started four games as a rookie, Blankenship became a full-time starter in 2023 and never looked back, starting all 46 games he's appeared in since 2023 plus five more playoff contests, including the Super Bowl.
Harolded for his ball-hawking abilities, Reed added his ninth interception in 2025 but generally underperformed his 2024 ceiling, earning a putrid 46.5 overall grade from PFF, the 92nd worst mark in the NFL out of 98 qualifying safeties, leading many to assume he would not be retained in 2026.
Does it make sense why the Eagles would say goodbye to Blankenship? Sure, they have multiple other players that need extensions in the not-too-distant future, and Blanekship's play didn't justify a new deal. Still, football isn't just played with Xs and Os, and for DeJean, playing without Blankenship will be an adjustment.
