NFL star Cooper DeJean seems to have picked up some wrestling moves from none other than Nikki Garcia. The Philadelphia Eagles cornerback, aged 22, put on a WWE-style celebration that included the iconic Five-Knuckle Shuffle—a signature move of Garcia’s ex-fiancé, John Cena. This playful act was directed at his teammate, Quinyon Mitchell, during their 29-18 win against the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland, on Saturday, December 20.

DeJean’s ode to Cena was a highlight as he playfully pinned Mitchell in the end zone, with their teammates joining in to count to three, replicating a wrestling match finish. The lighthearted moment added to the excitement of the Eagles’ victory.

Speculation about Garcia’s personal life has been buzzing, as she dropped hints of a possible romance with DeJean. Earlier in the week, the 42-year-old former wrestler shared a video on social media from her visit to Philadelphia, posing in front of DeJean’s locker, adding fuel to the dating rumors.

Meanwhile, Garcia has been making headlines in the wrestling world. On a recent episode of WWE’s Monday Night Raw, she faced some fan backlash over her past with Cena. During the November 10 episode on Netflix, Garcia, now 41, shocked viewers by turning heel against her recent ally, Stephanie Vaquer, showcasing her dynamic persona in the ring.

Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images Nikki Garcia is reacting to fans taunting her over her past relationship with John Cena on the latest episode of WWE’s Monday Night Raw. On the Monday, November 10, episode of Raw on Netflix, Nikki, 41, attacked recent ally Stephanie Vaquer, once again turning heel (wrestling parlance for a “bad guy”). The […]

“So blessed for the people around me, new friends and old, who make life so special and fun 🤍✨🙏🏼,” Nikki wrote via Instagram on Tuesday, December 16. “Thank you Big Dom @daveophilly @nickyryan @philadelphiaflyers & @livecasinophl for spoiling me and my crew this weekend!”

She added, “Fly Eagles Fly! Truly THE city of brotherly love! 💚🦅.”

Two days later, Nikki opened up about her love life on SiriusXM’s The Nikki & Brie Show following her divorce from ex-husband Artem Chigvintsev in 2024. (Garcia and Chigvintsev share a son, Matteo, 5.)

“It’s crazy because I actually haven’t been touched or done anything in so long,” Nikki told sister Brie Garcia and their listeners on Thursday, December 18. “It’s funny when people call me a whore when I actually haven’t had intimacy in a really long time, even think of kissing.”

The WWE star went on, “I haven’t even kissed someone in so long. It’s, like, kind of crazy. I was thinking of this last night: ‘Do I know how to kiss?’ You know when it’s been so long? I mean, I hope [I still do]. I’m about to make out with my pillow to make sure I still got it.”

DeJean’s nod to Garcia’s ex-boyfriend Cena comes just one week after the 17-time WWE Champion retired at the Capital One Arena in Washington D.C. at Saturday Night’s Main Event on December 13. Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Jimmy Fallon and Jelly Roll were among the stars to celebrate Cena’s career prior to his submission loss to WWE star Gunther in his retirement match.

Cena and Garcia were together for six years and even got engaged when he popped the question in the middle of the wrestling ring after their mixed tag team match at WrestleMania 33 in April 2017. Garcia broke the news to Us Weekly in July 2018 that she and Cena were going their separate ways.

“After I called off the engagement, we tried to work on our relationship to get back to where it was in order to move forward with our wedding,” she told Us at the time. “After much time and soul-searching alone, and together, we have decided to officially part ways. I had a beautiful and loving six-year relationship with a wonderful man. I have the utmost respect for John, but I know this is what’s best for me.”

From their first date to their drawn-out split in 2018, Us Weekly is revisiting John Cena and Nikki Bella’s love story. After years of friendship, the two wrestlers first sparked a romantic connection in 2012. The pair’s relationship continued to heat up as Cena popped the question in April 2017. However, less than one year later, […]

Garcia recently opened up about what it was like to see Cena for the first time in “seven, eight years” backstage at a WWE event as part of her former beau’s retirement tour.

“It was very quick,” she revealed on “Honestly Cavallari: The Podcast Tour” in June.

The WWE Hall of Fame inductee told sister Brie and Kristin Cavallari that she was “in a circle talking to people” backstage when Cena walked up to “[shake] everyone’s hand,” though there was “no hug.”

“We just said, ‘Hello, good to see you. I think last time we were engaged. I don’t know. It’s been a while,’” Nikki revealed with a chuckle.

Meanwhile, DeJean was most recently linked to Steph Wilfawn when she joined him on the field after the Eagles’ Super Bowl win over the Kansas City Chiefs in February.

“She’s been a trooper,” DeJean told “The Pivot” podcast about Wilfawn in February. “She’s been handling a lot, going through a lot, but she’s been there every step of the way.”

DeJean has yet to address speculation that he is dating Garcia.