Broncos outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper is expected to report to the first day of Denver’s training camp Tuesday, a source with knowledge of the situation told The Denver Post, despite still facing a felony assault charge in Douglas County court.
It’s unclear if Cooper will practice in a full capacity, and to what degree he’ll be around the team. The Broncos previously excused Cooper from June’s three-day minicamp, shortly after the outside linebacker was arrested twice in the span of a week for violating a protection order stemming from a physical altercation with his girlfriend June 4.
At June’s minicamp, Broncos head coach Sean Payton said Cooper had to take time to “work on himself.”
“Clearly from an ownership standpoint, head coach, organizationally … there’s a bar that we have, and an expectation that we have, thatap very high,” Payton said then. “We’ll consider all of that as we continue to gather the information. Thatap really all I can tell you. I think it’ll take a little bit of time, but we’re continuing to go through that process, and we take it very seriously.”
Payton will speak to reporters again after the Broncos’ ramp-up practice Wednesday.
Cooper made a virtual appearance last Friday in Douglas County court for a hearing, as a judge set an arraignment date -- where Cooper will hear his charges and enter a plea -- for Aug. 31. If the case proceeds to trial, then, Cooper's legal situation could still be playing out well into the start of the Broncos' season, as Denver is set to play its first game Sept. 14 against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The outside linebacker faces four total charges in Douglas County court, with a felony charge of assault by strangulation and three additional misdemeanors compiled over the course of two June arrests. A forensic nurse who evaluated Cooper's girlfriend the night of the original arrest reported to Parker police that the woman experienced "strangulation with hypoxia and traumatic brain injury," and the injury involved a "substantial risk of death."
An NFL spokesperson told The Post Monday that Cooper's incident was still under review of the league's personal conduct policy. If found guilty of criminal assault by the NFL, Cooper could face a minimum six-game suspension, which could scale up or down depending on the NFL's findings.
As of Tuesday, Cooper has not been placed on the league's Commissioner Exempt List, which would require Cooper to remain away from the team while his legal proceedings unfold.
The 28-year-old outside linebacker is set to make $12 million in cash payout in 2026. He's an integral part of the Broncos' defensive front, starting 54 straight games between the regular season and playoffs since 2023 and recording 28 total sacks in that time.
