Jonathan Cooper edge rusher Denver Broncos
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The Denver Broncos have been without one of their top edge rushers, 2021 seventh round pick Jonathon Cooper, since the start of the season when he was placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt List after being arrested twice in the span of one week on domestic violence charges.
Having plead not guilty to a felony charge of second-degree assault by strangulation against his then-girlfriend during the arraignment hearing in August, Cooper now is set to appear in court in a motions hearing this coming Monday on Oct. 12 at 3pm at Douglas County Court.
Jonathon Cooper to Appear in Court for Hearing on Oct. 12
The trial, however, is not being scheduled until mid-November.
Jonathan Cooper edge rusher Denver Broncos
GettyDENVER, COLORADO – SEPTEMBER 07: Jonathon Cooper #0 of the Denver Broncos sacks Cam Ward #1 of the Tennessee Titans during the second quarter during the game at Empower Field At Mile High on September 07, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Tyler Schank/Getty Images)
He is also being charged with three misdemeanours; two of which were sepereate counts of violating a protection order after his first arrest on June 4 and second arrest on June 11, both of which followed incidents with his then-partner.
Jonathon Cooper Set to Remain On the Sidelines For a While
Until the trial is concluded – unless there is some unexpected resolution bought forth during the motions hearing – it is unlikely that Cooper will return to the team.
In his stead, third year pro Jacob Elliss and Dondrea Tillman have been picking up the slack. But the loss of Cooper has taken its toll on the pass rush; the Broncos lead the league with 4 per game. one year later sans the sixth year pro, Denver now averages 2 per game, good for joint-16th in the NFL.
With the Broncos facing at least another month without their second-best pass rusher on the exterior, they will have to find another way to affect the quarterback in the coming weeks prior to his return if they want to stay competitive with the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West.
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Daniel Arwas Daniel Arwas is a sports writer who covers the NFL for Heavy.com. Daniel began his career in sports writing in 2022 and has covered the NFL and college football for Gridiron Heroics and The Hammer. More about Daniel Arwas
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