Cooper DeJean has apparently left the notorious Philadelphia Eagles-Dallas Cowboys rivalry on the gridiron after attending the 2026 Kentucky Derby alongside Cowboys cheerleader Abby Summers.
DeJean, 23, walked the red carpet at Churchill Downs on Saturday, May 2, with a group of four companions. The pro athlete, fittingly, sported a pale green suit and lilac-toned sunglasses for the occasion, standing beside DCC’s Summers, 25, who stunned in a sleeveless floral sundress and an oversized hat.
The rival cheerleader also snapped behind-the-scenes footage of the pair getting ready before they hit the iconic racetrack.
“Derby timeeee,” Summers captioned a TikTok video, in which she and DeJean posed for the cameras while a bugle played in the background.
At one point in the video, the NFL star wrapped his arm around Summers.
The sweet upload quickly sparked dating speculation from fans and fellow dancers alike.
“Derby day aka hard launch day ???????????? Cuteeee,” DCC vet Kleine Powell replied in the comment section, while Charly Barby added, “AAAAAHHHHH????????.”
Michelle Siemienowski and McKenna Gehrke, for their part, both commented that they have “been waiting on this.”
Derby timeeee????
While Summers and DeJean’s apparent connection got the approval from her cheerleading cohorts, other fans poked fun at their teams’ long-held and often contentious NFL rivalry.
“Modern day romeo and juliet,” one fan commented, as another wrote, “A dcc with an eagles player is actually a fan fiction.”
Neither DeJean nor Summers have publicly addressed their relationship status. Us Weekly has reached out to reps for both athletes for comment.
DeJean previously dated Steph Wilfawn, who was by his side when the Eagles won the 2025 Super Bowl.
“She’s been a trooper,” he said on “The Pivot” podcast in February 2025 after the championship victory. “She’s been handling a lot, going through a lot, but she’s been there every step of the way. I met her back in college so she’s been there for me, which I appreciate, and I need [her] throughout this crazy time.”
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He continued at the time, “My phone’s been blowing up, especially after the Super Bowl. It’s almost hard to even go on my phone anymore just because [of] everything that’s going on — getting tagged in a bunch of stuff and things like that. But she’s been a trooper. She’s been there for me, so I appreciate her for that.”
DeJean and Wilfawn reportedly went their separate ways later that year, before rumors swirled that he was dating WWE star Nikki Garcia.
“They have hung out,” a source exclusively told Us in January, stressing that Garcia, 42, is “having fun and enjoying being single” following her 2024 divorce from Artem Chigvintsev.
