The NFL made it official on Saturday: Broncos outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper is going on the commissioner's exempt list, pulling him off the field indefinitely while his legal case plays out. The move comes on the heels of two separate arrests this summer connected to a former girlfriend.
Sources: NFL is placing Broncos outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper on the commissioner exempt list. Cooper was involved in a pair of domestic incidents over the summer, was arrested twice, and faces five charges, including second-degree felony assault.
Cooper was first arrested in June on suspicion of domestic violence and criminal mischief, then arrested again days later on charges tied to violating the resulting protection order. Along the way, a second-degree assault charge by strangulation got added to the pile, which is the felony count driving this whole situation. All told, he's staring down 5 charges.
The NFL is placing #Broncos pass-rusher Jonathan Cooper on the Commissioner’s Exempt list, taking him off the field because of two incidents involving a former girlfriend. Cooper faces five charges including second-degree assault, which is a felony.
This isn't a suspension, at least not yet. The exempt list is the league's holding pattern for players facing serious legal exposure — Cooper still gets paid, still doesn't count against the 53-man roster, and can still show up to the facility and meetings, but he's barred from practicing or playing until further notice.
The timing stings for Denver. Cooper signed a 4-year, $60 million extension with $33 million guaranteed and has been one of the more productive edge rushers in football since 2023 — a 7th-round pick out of Ohio State who worked his way into a full-time starting role and became one of just 6 defenders league-wide with at least 100 tackles and 14 sacks over that span. Now he's on paid leave to open the year with no timetable back.
Cooper isn't alone on the list this weekend, either. The league confirmed 3 players are starting the season on paid leave — Cooper, Packers RB Josh Jacobs, and new Seahawks CB Terrion Arnold — while making clear no one else is joining them today.
No other players are expected to land on the commissioner's exempt list today, per sources. All other cases remain under review. But three will start the season on paid leave: Packers RB Josh Jacobs, Broncos OLB Jonathan Cooper and new Seahawks CB Terrion Arnold.
For now, Denver's defense just has to move on without one of its best players and wait to see how the legal process unfolds. Nothing changes on the field until Cooper's case does.