Cooper DeJean Seen With Cowboys Cheerleader as Nikki Bella Rumors Resurface

A new name has entered the Cooper DeJean dating rumor cycle, and it comes with a built-in NFL rivalry.

According to The New York Post, the Philadelphia Eagles cornerback was spotted at the Elite Eight matchup between Iowa and Illinois in Houston with Abby Summers, a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader.

Photos circulating online showed the pair sitting together while watching DeJean’s alma mater, the Iowa Hawkeyes, take on the Fighting Illini. Although Iowa fell 71-59, DeJean appeared relaxed and smiling throughout the outing, immediately setting off speculation about whether he and Summers are more than friends.

Summers has her own public profile. The Ohio native is in her second season with the Dallas Cowboys cheerleading squad and appeared on Season 2 of America's Sweethearts, the Netflix series following the famous organization. According to her social media profiles, Summers also co-founded a clothing company called Colab Collective.

Neither DeJean nor Summers has commented publicly on the nature of their relationship, and reports have described the situation as unclear. Still, the sighting quickly drew attention because of DeJean’s recent run of headlines involving Nikki Bella.

The Eagles defensive back and Bella—whose real name is Nikki Garcia—became the subject of dating rumors late last year after Bella posted social media clips from a trip to Philadelphia.

One video showed her inside the Eagles’ locker room near DeJean’s locker, while another captured the two smiling together.

Bella later attended multiple Eagles games wearing DeJean’s jersey, and reports in January described the pair as casually dating, though both were said to still consider themselves single.

Bella later addressed the speculation without directly naming DeJean. Speaking on The Nikki & Brie Show, she insisted she had not been romantically involved with anyone for quite some time. “I haven’t even kissed someone in so long,” Bella said. “It’s kind of crazy.”

Even so, the rumors continued into early 2026. During a WWE appearance in Philadelphia, Bella responded to chants of “Coop” from the crowd by joking, “Can you blame a girl for having good taste? Pro Bowl baby.”

At the same time, DeJean kept his own comments vague. When asked directly about Bella during Super Bowl week, he declined to define the relationship. Days later, reports surfaced that he had left a Super Bowl party in San Francisco with an unidentified brunette.