The Denver Broncos and head coach Sean Payton seem to be throwing the full weight of their support behind embattled $60 million edge rusher Jonathon Cooper.
Payton spoke publicly about Cooper, who was arrested twice in 1 week this summer, on the 1st full day of training camp.
“Sean Payton said the Broncos are ‘proud of the work’ Jonathon Cooper has done in recent weeks and said the club is ‘fully supportive’ of him as the league review and legal processes continue,” The Denver Post’s Parker Gabriel wrote on X on Wednesday.
Cooper was arrested for the 1st time on June 4 on 2 counts of domestic violence and 1 count of criminal mischief over an incident with his girlfriend.
He was arrested again 1 week later on 4 additional charges stemming from violating the protection order placed against him that required him to stay away from his girlfriend.
Over the last 2 seasons, Cooper has been 1 of the key pieces to the NFL’s elite pass rush unit and is playing on a 4-year, $60 million contract extension he signed in November 2024.
“Here’s everything Sean Payton said today on Jonathon Cooper,” The Denver Post’s Luca Evans wrote on X on Wednesday. “Clear the Broncos are taking a very ‘we’ll let the league decide this’ approach.”
Jonathon Cooper Has Court Date Looming
Cooper’s last court date on July 24 sets up what could be a lengthy legal battle, and he’s hired famed defense attorney Harvey Steinberg to represent him.
Steinberg is also representing former Detroit Lions cornerback and 2024 1st-round pick Terrion Arnold, who is facing a life sentence on kidnapping and robbery charges in Florida.
“Denver Broncos outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper had a virtual court hearing for a felony assault case on Friday morning,” Broncos Wire’s Jon Heath wrote on July 24. “That hearing resulted in an arraignment date being set for Aug. 31 … Cooper will be asked to plead guilty, not guilty, or no contest on that date. If the case eventually goes to trial, it could be months away from a resolution. The Broncos excused Cooper from mandatory minicamp last month, and if he does not return before his case is resolved, he could miss all of training camp and preseason. Denver’s veterans are set to report for training camp on July 28 with the first practice scheduled for July 31. The Broncos have preseason games scheduled for Aug. 14, 21 and 28.”
Analyst: Jonathon Cooper Should Be Suspended
ESPN analyst Mina Kimes believes the NFL should suspend Cooper now and not wait for the cases to be adjudicated.
Losing Cooper for any amount of time would have a massive impact on 1 of the NFL’s best defenses. He was 2nd on the Broncos with 8.0 sacks in 2025 and has 16.5 sacks over the last 2 seasons.
“I feel like it’s kind of flying under the radar a little bit,” Kimes said on her podcast on July 22. “When people are like ‘the Broncos defense is good’ … like the pass rush … their second-best edge rusher is potentially facing a suspension. So I think it’s worth a discussion and I do think this (defense) will be good even if Cooper misses any amount of time. As he should, frankly, if you go look (the arrests) up.”
According to multiple reports, Cooper’s girlfriend was also arrested, and the arrest affidavit stated Cooper attempted to bite his girlfriend’s phone in half during the argument.
“We are disappointed to learn of Jonathon Cooper’s arrest on Thursday and continue to review this matter,” the Broncos said in a statement released following his 2nd arrest.
After Cooper’s 2nd arrest, the charges against his girlfriend were dropped.
From CBS News Denver: “Cooper still faces the charge and several others, including a felony charge added after investigators looked into the incident further. Cooper is expected to be in court on Wednesday to be advised of the charge of second-degree assault- strangulation, as well as Cooper, 28, third-degree assault- knowingly or recklessly causing injury, a misdemeanor. In addition, Cooper faces two misdemeanor charges following a second incident involving the woman last Thursday, June 11, of violation of a protection order and harassment for repeated telephone calls. That followed Cooper allegedly sending a series of text messages and showing up outside the woman’s apartment in Centennial.”
Broncos Head Coach: ‘Proud’ of Troubled Edge Rusher Jonathon Cooper