Denver Broncos linebacker Jonathon Cooper was excused from mandatory minicamp on Tuesday after being arrested twice in the last two weeks. Head coach Sean Payton touched on the situation in a press conference, stating that Cooper is taking time to work on himself and that the club is in tune with the league office and local authorities.
Cooper’s Arrests
Cooper was initially arrested and jailed in Douglas County, Colorado, on June 4 on misdemeanor domestic violence charges. He was released later that morning. A felony charge for second-degree assault by strangulation and an additional misdemeanor charge of third-degree assault were announced in court on June 10. On June 11, he was charged with harassment due to repeated phone calls and violating a protection order.
Payton would not comment further when asked about Cooper by reporters, stating that the NFL and local authorities are handling the investigation. A hearing for Cooper’s original arrest is set for July 6, with another on July 14 for his latest arrest. A trial is scheduled to begin July 22, just before the Broncos begin training camp.
Cooper, 28, has started every game in each of the past three seasons for Denver and has played in 81 games since the Broncos drafted him in 2021. He signed a four-year, $60 million extension in November 2024.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
