Broncos outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper could be closer to getting back on the field, but his status is still tied to the legal process unfolding around him.
According to Mike Klis of 9News, Cooper’s jury trial has been pushed from November 10 to March 2-4. That change may open the door for him to come off the commissioner’s exempt list, which would make him eligible to play again.
The league is still watching the situation closely. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said, “We have been closely monitoring all developments in the matter which remains under review of the personal conduct policy.”
Klis added that there is “hope, but not a certainty” that Cooper could be available for Week 7 against the Cardinals.
Cooper was placed on the exempt list while his domestic violence case works its way through the legal system. He was arrested twice this spring, beginning with an arrest tied to alleged domestic violence after an altercation with his girlfriend over cheating allegations. Later that same week, he was arrested again on four new charges: two counts of domestic violence, harassment based on repeated phone calls, and violating a protection order that had been issued after the initial arrest.
The 28-year-old has been a steady part of Denver’s defense when available. In 2025, he played all 17 games for the Broncos and finished with 50 tackles, eight tackles for loss, eight sacks and four pass defenses.
Before reaching the NFL, Cooper was a two-year starter at Ohio State and earned third-team All-Big Ten honors as a senior. Denver selected him with the No. 239 overall pick in the seventh round in 2021.
He was in the final year of a four-year contract worth $3,580,672, which included a $100,672 signing bonus, before the Broncos signed him to a four-year, $60 million extension in November 2024.
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