Eagles stay or go: Cornerback

Over the last few weeks, we've be taking position-by-position looks at which players will likely be back with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2025, and which ones likely won't. Today we'll continue on with the cornerbacks.

Regarding the polls below, they are your votes on what you think the Eagles should do, not necessarily what you think they will do. Please think of them more as approval polls for each player.

Darius Slay

Reports emerged on Monday that the Eagles intend on releasing Slay, though a chance remains that he could return to the team on a cheaper one-year deal.

If his release sticks, Slay's tenure in Philadelphia will have lasted five seasons, three of which resulted in Pro Bowl nods. During his time with the Eagles, he had nine regular season INTs, two of which he returned for TDs, as well as a pair of fumble returns for TDs.

He saved some of his best play for the Eagles' Super Bowl playoff run following the 2024 season, when he had 14 tackles, a league-leading 5 pass breakups, and an INT in the Wild Card Round against the Packers, shown below:

Darius Slay with one of the best CB reps I’ve seen all season. Technique & ball skills = INT 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/vZ5X2C5hOJ

— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) January 12, 2025

At 34 years of age and a cap number of $13,765,483 in 2025, Slay's roster spot was in danger, especially with the emergence of rookie corners Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. Slay's release will result in a dead money hit of $22,706,449. Because the Eagles plan to release Slay with a June 1 designation, the Eagles will spread that cap hit over two seasons — $9,441,483 in 2025, and $13,264,966 in 2026.

#JimmyVerdict: The Eagles trusted some of their younger players to take on bigger roles with the team in 2024, and I believe they'll be comfortable doing the same in 2025. I don't see the Eagles re-signing Slay when they already have two excellent young corners in Mitchell and DeJean, and some other potential starters in Kelee Ringo and free agent Isaiah Rodgers. Go.

Do you want Darius Slay back on the Eagles' 2025 roster?

Quinyon Mitchell

The Eagles selected Mitchell with their first-round pick in 2024 and it was pretty clear as early as Eagles spring practices that he could play. He worked his way up the depth chart from the spring into training camp, and by the time the season rolled around there was little doubt that he was going to start and probably play well.

Mitchell finished the regular season with 46 tackles and 12 pass breakups. He did not have a regular season INT, but he collected his first pick in the playoffs against the Packers, and added another against the Commanders in the NFC Championship Game.

If NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors were decided on regular season plus playoff performances, Mitchell probably would've won. As is, he finished second behind Rams edge defender Jared Verse.

#JimmyVerdict: Mitchell should be a shutdown corner for the Eagles for the foreseeable future. Stay.

Do you want Quinyon Mitchell back on the Eagles' 2025 roster?

Cooper DeJean

DeJean's 2023 season at Iowa was cut short when he fractured his right fibula in practice. He missed most of the pre-draft process, and he no doubt slid in the draft as a result. The Eagles took advantage. After selecting Mitchell in the first round of the 2024 draft, the Eagles then traded up in the second round and snagged DeJean, who has already proven to be a steal.

DeJean's rookie season didn't get off to an ideal start. Before the start of Eagles training camp, DeJean injured his hamstring, landed on the NFI list, and missed the first dozen practices, forcing him to play catchup deep into camp. He then played just 8 snaps in the regular defense over the first four games of the season.

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But after the Week 5 bye, DeJean entered the starting lineup, replacing Avonte Maddox, and his presence in the secondary helped turn the season around. Like Mitchell above, DeJean didn't have a regular season INT, but he had 51 tackles, a forced fumble, and six pass breakups while solidifying the slot corner spot in the Eagles' defense, both in coverage and as a tackler.

Also like Mitchell, DeJean saved his biggest moments for the playoffs, with his interception of Patrick Mahomes serving as the signature play of Super Bowl LIX.

DeJean will likely resume his role in the slot for the Eagles in 2025, and I imagine he'll stay on the field and play outside corner on the rare occasions the Eagles are in their base defense.

#JimmyVerdict: DeJean should be a shutdown corner for the Eagles for the foreseeable future. Stay.

Do you want Cooper DeJean back on the Eagles' 2025 roster?

Isaiah Rodgers

In June of 2023, Rodgers was suspended for the entirety of the 2023 season for violating the NFL's policy on gambling, and was subsequently released by the Colts for no good reason. In a pure stash move, the Eagles signed Rodgers that August. He was reinstated by the NFL in April of 2024, and looked good during Eagles spring practices.

He was beaten out for a starting job in training camp by Mitchell, but really only because Mitchell was just really good. Otherwise, Rodgers perhaps could have been a capable CB2. He was the team's primary backup at outside corner in 2024, appearing in 15 games (3 starts), and playing 420 snaps in the regular defense (328 in the regular season, 92 in the playoffs). He finished with 26 tackles, a forced fumble, and 4 pass breakups. He was also forced into action in the playoffs after Mitchell got hurt against the Rams. In four playoff games, he had 6 tackles, a fumble recovery that he returned 40 yards, and 3 pass breakups.

He also averaged 28.1 yards per return on 8 kick returns, with a long return of 51 yards.

At 5'10, 170, Rodgers has slot corner size, but he mainly played outside for the Colts and Eagles. He has 4.28 speed and can run with any wide receiver in the NFL. He is a good fit for a Vic Fangio defense that stresses not allowing big plays down the field.

Rodgers is a free agent this offseason, and if he returns to the team, he will likely compete with Kelee Ringo for the right to be the CB3 who plays on the outside alongside Mitchell and DeJean.

#JimmyVerdict: Rodgers has expressed interest in returning to the Eagles. It will be interesting to see what kind of market develops for him, but my guess is that the Eagles will be able to afford to bring him back. Stay.

Do you want Isaiah Rodgers back on the Eagles' 2025 roster?

Kelee Ringo

Throughout his first two NFL seasons, Ringo has mostly served as a core special teamer, and he has become one of the league's best gunners. (One Eagles core special teamer laughs at teams that try to single block Ringo on punt returns, knowing that he's too big and fast to be blocked by one guy.)

Ringo is 6'2, 207, he runs a 4.36, and he has embraced his role on special teams. He is going to be in the NFL for a long time. The question is whether that will be just as a core special teamer and backup corner, or if he can eventually make the leap into a starting lineup.

When he was selected in the fourth round of the 2023 draft, Ringo was one of the youngest rookies in the NFL. He's still only 22 years of age, and is actually younger than Mitchell. Howie Roseman has said that the team would give Ringo time to grow, but the 2025 season will go a long way toward determining what Ringo's future outlook looks like.

#JimmyVerdict: Assuming Slay doesn't re-sign with the team, Ringo will be given an opportunity to compete for the CB3 job, playing on the outside in nickel. Stay.

Do you want Kelee Ringo back on the Eagles' 2025 roster?

Avonte Maddox

Maddox will be entering his seventh NFL season in 2025, and he turns 29 at the end of March. He had a rough first quarter of the season in 2024 before getting benched in favor of DeJean after the Week 5 bye. Opposing offenses attacked him, notably during the Eagles' Week 4 loss in Tampa, where the Bucs targeted him 8 times.

Over his first four or so years in the NFL, Maddox was a good slot corner when healthy, but he had durability issues. He can no longer be considered one of the better slot corners in the league, even if healthy.

He did have a good moment in the Super Bowl, when he swatted away a Mahomes 4th down pass, forcing a turnover on downs.

#JimmyVerdict: While you would not want Maddox starting for you at this stage of his career, he does have slot corner / safety versatility, and he is a positive locker room presence. He shouldn't have a robust market in free agency, but if the Eagles can bring him back at a veteran minimum deal or something close to it, I believe they will have interest in him as a multi-positional backup. Stay.

Do you want Avonte Maddox back on the Eagles' 2025 roster?

Eli Ricks

After a good showing in the Eagles' preseason games in 2023, Ricks made the team as an undrafted rookie free agent, and he got playing time in the slot out of necessity early in the season. He had some nice moments in the Eagles' win over Tyreek Hill and the Dolphins, but he also had a brutally bad game against the 49ers when he only played 5 snaps, and managed to give up 3 completions on 3 targets for 44 yards and a TD. He appeared in 16 games and played 301 defensive snaps his rookie season.

In 2024, Ricks appeared in just 7 games with 14 defensive snaps. He was buried behind a long list of good cornerbacks, but the Eagles thought enough of him to carry him on the 53-man roster for the entirety of the season.

#JimmyVerdict: Ricks will be back in camp, with an opportunity to earn a roster spot in 2025, but probably isn't a realistic candidate to compete to be the team's CB3.

Do you want Eli Ricks back on the Eagles' 2025 roster?

#JimmyVerdict Stay or Go Results

Green = Stay

Red = Go

Blue = Will be back in camp in 2025, but a 53-man roster spot is not a given.

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