What do the Broncos do with Jonathon Cooper?

DENVER, COLORADO - JANUARY 25: Jonathon Cooper #0 of the Denver Broncos celebrates during the AFC Championship Playoff game between the New England Patriots and the Denver Broncos at Empower Field At Mile High on January 25, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Kara Durrette/Getty Images) | Getty Images

One of the key questions heading into 2026: What happens to Jonathon Cooper?

The Denver Broncos edge finds himself in limbo heading into the season due to off-the-field legal issues. Will George Paton and Sean Payton keep Cooper on the roster? Or will they move on from the sixth-year linebacker?

At this point, no one outside the franchise knows, and Denver isn't saying. That's before possible discipline from the NFL comes down for the personal conduct policy.

Player Profile

Age:28 |Experience:Sixth Year |College:Ohio State | Height:6'4" |Weight:257 pounds

Until a decision is made on Cooper's status, let's assume he's in the equation in 2026. At least in some capacity.

Of course, we all know what they say about those who assume, but we don't have much of a choice at this point.

Jonathon Cooper's 2026 outlook with the Broncos

Before we get into what Cooper could bring to the Denver defense, let's quickly circle back to what happened in early June.

It was on June 5 that the news broke that Cooper had been arrested and was being held on two counts of domestic violence and one count of criminal mischief. The incident appears to have occurred on the night of June 4.

Then, the news broke that Cooper was arrested again, a week later, on charges of domestic violence and misdemeanor charges of harassment and violation of a protection order.

As a result, the Broncos excused Cooper from minicamp practices.

Will that be the play for Denver heading into training camp? Or will he be allowed to get on the field?

When Cooper is on the field, his ability to get after the quarterback has helped make the Broncos defense so vaunted over the last few seasons. His pairing with Nik Bonitto has made them one of the pass-rushing duos in the league.

In 2025, Cooper finished with 8 sacks, 50 tackles (23 solo), and four passes defended. His best season in the NFL came in 2024 when he had 10.5 sacks.

What adds to the dilemma is Cooper's salary. In 2026, he carries a cap hit of $5.7 millon but a dead cap of $18.3 million. In 2027, the cap hit jumps to $17.5 million, and the dead cap drops slightly to $13 million.

Final thoughts

What Denver decides to do with Cooper is one of the biggest questions heading into training camp. Of course, it's possible the Broncos do nothing and let all the legal issues play out in court, then decide afterward.

It's possible Denver does with Cooper what it did in minicamp and excuses Cooper from training camp. If that happens, it falls on the guys lower on the depth chart to step up and find a way to replace him.

If Cooper is on the field in 2026, the Broncos know what to expect: a guy who can get after the quarterback and make life more difficult for opposing quarterbacks.

How this plays out is one of the franchise's looming issues.