It was not a banner day at the office for Philadelphia Eagles CB Adoree’ Jackson. The former first-round pick of the Tennessee Titans and standout with the New York Giants was one of the Eagles’ top acquisition this offseason after they signed him in free agency. With the team moving on from longtime starter Darius Slay on the outside, Jackson was supposed to be the locked-in starter across from Quinyon Mitchell (with Cooper DeJean in the slot).
In his first game with the Eagles on Thursday night against the Cowboys, Jackson got torched. He gave up five catches for 103 yards on seven targets in coverage, a hard-to-believe number for just how bad it is. He was also responsible for lapse in run defense, failing to contain the the edge on a long run in the third quarter.
Jackson’s performance led to NJ.com calling for his benching on Saturday, writing that the Eagles couldn’t afford to let Jackson’s subpar play torpedo their season. As the Eagles pursue a defense of their Super Bowl title, teams will attack weak links in the secondary. CB Jakorian Bennett is the better option, they conclude, now that he’s had more time to adjust to the Eagles’ system.
Cornerback Depth a Potential Concern for the Eagles
Mitchell Leff/GettyPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – SEPTEMBER 04: Quinyon Mitchell #27 of the Philadelphia Eagles celebrates with a ‘Tush Push’ after recovering a fumble against the Dallas Cowboys during the third quarter in the game at Lincoln Financial Field on September 04, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Well, Jackson won the starting job out of camp, but he wasn’t the solid, every-down guy he was billed as coming in. After four quality seasons in New York, there wasn’t much doubt he would be a capable starter for Philadelphia, at the very least.
Jakorian Bennett was acquired in a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders on August 4 to provide additional depth at cornerback. He played a handful on snaps on Thursday night, allowing three receptions for 20 yards. He’s the primary backup for Mitchell and Jackson on the outside, and if the coaching staff decides to bench Jackson, Bennett is likely the first player they would turn to.
However, outside of Jackson and Bennett, there aren’t many other options for the Eagles to turn to. Kelee Ringo has been with Philadelphia for a few years, though he’s mostly been a special-teamer in his short NFL career. Fifth-round rookie Mac McWilliams is the only other cornerback on the roster.
Rookie S Andrew Mukuba can also play in the slot, if they wanted to move starting nickel corner Cooper DeJean to the outside and play last year’s starter Sydney Brown in Mukuba’s safety spot. At least, it gives them some options.
The Philadelphia Eagles Defense Needs to Play Better Moving Forward
The Eagles got the win against the Cowboys due in no small part to some crucial, timely big plays from their defense. But it’s no secret they’ll need to do better in the future if Philadelphia wants to repeat.
That starts in the secondary. There’s no indication that the Eagles coaching staff is considering benching Jackson — yet. But if he wants to keep his job, he’ll have to play better moving forward, or else the Eagles will look elsewhere.
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