Cooper DeJean pays tribute to John Cena after INT and accidentally fans the Nikki Bella rumor flames

Cooper DeJean has gone from promising rookie to full-blown Eagles star in record time. He’s locking down receivers on Sundays, stacking interceptions, and somehow still finding a way to make headlines off the field while doing it.

Late in the third quarter against Washington, Cooper DeJean came down with a huge interception and instead of jogging back to the sideline, he broke out a perfectly timed tribute to one of the most iconic figures of an entire generation.

Cooper DeJean pays tribute to John Cena

@nfloncbs Cooper DeJean honors John Cena after his retirement from WWE 🔥 (🎥: NFL) #johncena #fiveknuckleshuffle #eagles ♬ original sound – NostalgicWrestling😈😇

Reporters asked DeJean about it afterward, his answer was exactly what you’d expect from someone who grew up watching John Cena, the same way I did.

“That one was for John Cena,” DeJean said. “That’s the guy I watched growing up. I was a huge WWE fan as a kid. We’ve had that celebration planned for a while.”

As everyone quickly pointed out, John Cena also happens to be the former longtime partner of Nikki Bella, who has recently been at the center of very real, very loud dating rumors involving DeJean.

So now we’re left asking the obvious question: was this just a childhood hero moment… or a very subtle wink that accidentally poured gasoline on an already raging rumor fire?

The answer is almost certainly “nothing” but it’s also objectively hilarious timing.

To be clear, DeJean probably wants absolutely none of this noise following him around. He’s in the middle of a playoff push, just helped the Eagles clinch the NFC East in back-to-back seasons for the first time in 21 years, and is playing some of the best football of any slot corner in the league.

Read More: Cooper DeJean and Nikki Bella spotted out together in Philly after win, could be America’s next great power couple >>

Still, coincidence or not, it was an elite celebration.

If nothing else, Cooper DeJean just delivered one of the best NFL celebrations of the season, right after a massive interception, during a division-clinching run, while accidentally setting social media on fire.

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