Eagles’ Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean are going to break the bank thanks to Sauce Gardner contract

The Eagles have a good problem on their hands: They might’ve drafted two generational cornerbacks in back-to-back picks.

Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean looked like seasoned pros last year, not wide-eyed rookies. Mitchell locked down WR1s and finished second in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting. DeJean, meanwhile, did everything — covered, tackled, forced turnovers, and made a huge Super Bowl pick. These two aren’t just promising, they’re already producing at a Pro Bowl level.

And now… Sauce Gardner just reset the market.

How this contract affects the Eagles

The Eagles might not feel it today or tomorrow — but the time is coming. Sauce just inked a four-year, $120.4 million megadeal with the Jets, making him the highest-paid corner in NFL history at over $30 million per year.

Let’s pause on that.

Mitchell and DeJean are two years behind Sauce in service time. But if they stay on this trajectory, they’re going to be in that exact same price range — or higher — by the time their rookie deals are up. Mitchell held opposing QBs to under 55% completions last year. He’s already a No. 1 corner on a Super Bowl team. DeJean? He’s a Swiss Army knife who can play inside, outside, safety, return kicks, or probably call the defense if they asked him.

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If Sauce is the blueprint, these two could be looking at $32–35 million per year by 2027, especially if the cap keeps climbing. That’s quarterback money.

So what do the Eagles do? You’ve got Jalen Hurts on a massive deal. A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith are locked up. Jalen Carter is next in line for a Godzilla-sized extension. At some point, there’s going to be a crunch, and Philly’s going to have to choose.

Do you pay two corners $70 million a year combined? Do you extend one early? Trade one before the bill comes due?

No one wants to talk about that today, especially not with the Eagles primed for another deep postseason run. But Sauce Gardner’s deal just lit a financial fuse. And Mitchell and DeJean are the ones holding the match.

Stay tuned — this era of Eagles football might be historic on the field and even crazier off it when the contracts start flying.