The Denver Broncos have received some clarity before the roster cut deadline on Sunday regarding the status of outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper amidst his pending legal situation.
Denver Broncos OLB Jonathon Cooper placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt list
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has placed Denver Broncos outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper on the exempt list prior to the league’s roster cut deadline of 4:00 p.m. MT.
Cooper lands on the list ahead of his court hearing/arraignment tomorrow in Douglas County court, where he’s expected to enter a plea of guilty or not guilty in the matter of the domestic violence incident that took place this summer between him and an ex-girlfriend that ultimately resulted in him being arrested twice in the span of one week.
The second arrest was for violation of a protection order, which was disputed by his attorney, Harvey Steinberg, who argued that after the initial arrest, where Cooper and his ex-girlfriend were both arrested, there was no order issued that he could not have contact with her. The protection order that came after the first arrest was more along the lines that Cooper could not commit any crimes during that period, not a specific no-contact order with his ex-girlfriend.
After Cooper’s second arrest, the judge then ordered a no-contact protection order in place between Cooper and his ex-girlfriend.
Since then, Cooper has completed inpatient mental health treatment and counseling. He participated in training camp and in all three preseason games.
What this means for Cooper now is that he will still be receiving his standard paycheck, and he can attend team meetings, lift, and receive treatment, but he cannot participate in practice and cannot play in any games.
His landing on the exempt list does not substitute for any type of suspension — and the general expectation is that Cooper could be suspended anywhere between two and eight games, as his arrests and pending charges violate the NFL’s Player Conduct policy.
With that said, Cooper does not count against the Broncos’ 53-man roster, which allows them to have more flexibility in creating roster space by today’s 4:00 p.m. deadline.