Denver Broncos outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper is back in the picture.
After spending the first six games of the 2026 NFL season on the Commissioner Exempt List because of offseason legal troubles, Cooper was removed from the list on Friday. That makes the veteran pass-rusher eligible to return, and he could be in uniform as soon as Week 7 against the Arizona Cardinals on November 25th.
Per source, the NFL removed Jonathon Cooper from the Commissioner Exempt List. The Broncos OLB will be eligible to play in the Broncos’ Week 7 game on Oct. 25 after missing six games.
The NFL initiated an investigation under the Personal Conduct Policy following Cooper’s…
- MikeKlis9NEWS (@mikeklis9news) October 16, 2026
The situation is still far from fully resolved. Cooper has a trial scheduled for March 2-4 of 2027, and while he is eligible to play now, that case could still affect his standing with the Broncos next year. There is also the possibility of further NFL discipline down the road, even though he appears clear to return for the rest of 2026.
For Denver, the timing matters. Cooper has been unavailable since the start of the season, missing both practice and games, but now he has time to get back into the swing of things before the Week 7 matchup with Arizona. That runway could be especially useful after the Broncos lost EDGE Jonah Elliss to some kind of lower-body injury in Week 6.
Cooper’s absence has been felt. Now 28, he has started all 17 games each year from 2023 through 2025 and built a strong production line in that stretch: 27 sacks, 180 total tackles, 27 tackles for loss and 49 quarterback hits.
His value goes beyond the box score, too. He has been Denver’s best EDGE run defender, and the Broncos have been a little leaky against the run this season.
The pass rush has still shown plenty of bite, though most of that damage has come over the last couple of weeks. Getting Cooper back alongside Nik Bonitto gives Denver a chance to restore one of its best defensive pairings. When those two are on the field together, there may not be three better EDGE duos in the league.
If the Broncos are serious about making a Super Bowl run this year, Cooper’s return brings back the kind of skill set they can’t afford to miss.
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