Broncos OLB Jonathon Cooper Facing Criminal Charges Following Arrest

The first week of Denver Broncos OTAs has been punctuated by an unfortunate player arrest. Veteran outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper was arrested early Friday morning on a criminal mischief charge and a domestic violence enhancer.

The Denver Post's Parker Gabriel broke the news on Friday.

"Broncos OLB Jonathon Cooper was arrested late last night and booked into Douglas County Jail at 2:38 a.m. on a criminal mischief charge and a domestic violence enhancer, according to jail records. Cooper is still in custody and has a court hearing Monday morning," Gabriel posted on X.

The Broncos released a statement, via Gabriel.

“We are aware of the matter and are gathering more information," the team said.

According to DNVR's Zac Stevens, Cooper's Monday morning court date will come with two counts of domestic violence and one count of criminal mischief, with a bond set at $1,000.

This Cooper arrest is definitely an outside-the-norm development for the Broncos under head coach Sean Payton. For the past three years, the Broncos have avoided these types of NFL headlines, and that's a credit to the culture Payton has cultivated.

OLB Snapshot

Cooper has been a starter for the past several seasons. A 2021 seventh-round pick, he garnered a four-year, $54 million extension from the Broncos during the 2024 season.

Opposite Cooper is Nik Bonitto, a two-time Pro Bowler. Beyond those two, the Broncos have Dondrea Tillman, Que Robinson, Drew Sanders, and Johnny Walker.

The Broncos made the decision this offseason to move Jonah Elliss from outside to inside linebacker. Time will tell whether Cooper's run-in with the law has any additional team-related ramifications, but if so, the Broncos could always opt to move Elliss back to the edge.

The other thing to consider is Von Miller, who has consistently and publicly campaigned for a return to the Broncos. Miller has said he'd accept a non-starting role, despite being a franchise icon, though he's not willing to play special teams.

Typically, a team's No. 3 and No. 4 rush linebacker contributes on special teams, which is one of the hang-ups to bringing Miller back. The other is the depth the Broncos have at the position.

NFL Personal Conduct Policy

Denver Broncos linebacker Jonathon Cooper (0) before the game against the Cleveland Browns at Empower Field at Mile High. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The domestic violence enhancer in Cooper's criminal mischief charge is not a good look for the Broncos. However, the innocent-until-proven-guilty thing applies, even to famous pro athletes, but that doesn't exempt him from NFL discipline.

Considering Cooper's value to the Broncos, the team is between a rock and a hard place. In all likelihood, though, the Broncos will allow the legal process to play out before taking any disciplinary action, but the NFL could act without a criminal conviction.

Under the league's Personal Conduct Policy, the NFL has the prerogative to take disciplinary action against a player even without a criminal conviction.

"It is not enough simply to avoid being found guilty of a crime in a court of law. We are all held to a higher standard and must conduct ourselves in a way that is responsible, promotes the values of the NFL, and is lawful," the Policy states.

"Players convicted of a crime or subject to a disposition of a criminal proceeding (as defined in this Policy) are subject to discipline. But even if the conduct does not result in a criminal conviction, players found to have engaged in any of the following conduct will be subject to discipline."

Cooper is subject to NFL discipline out of the gate because of the domestic violence enhancer charges. Like the Broncos, the NFL will surely investigate and decide whether there's enough to hand down a suspension.

Again, it's important to remember that Cooper is perceived as innocent until proven guilty.

The Takeaway

With all the good vibes flowing through Broncos HQ right now, this negative story could bring things down a bit. Payton is a veteran head coach, though, and he should be able to keep the Cooper arrest from becoming a harmful distraction to what the Broncos are working toward right now as OTAs continue.

This is a developing story that will be updated periodically as new information comes to light.

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