Payton: Broncos 'staying the course' with LB Jonathon Cooper

Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton said the team is "staying the course" with linebacker Jonathon Cooper, who was arrested twice last month on domestic violence-related charges.

Cooper was excused from the team's mandatory minicamp last month after being arrested on June 4 and again on June 11 following incidents with his girlfriend. He faces a felony charge of second-degree assault by strangulation in addition to three misdemeanors and is scheduled to appear in Douglas County (Colo.) court on Aug. 31 for an arraignment.

Cooper, 28, reported to training camp on Tuesday, and is participating in practices and other team activities.

"We're staying the course with the league. We're staying the course with league protocol, club protocol relative to what we're advised to do," Payton said. "He's been fantastic working away from the building, and we'll continue to do that and monitor it.

"We're supportive, and yet very much aware of the seriousness of these types of things. Pretty much what I said in the spring, there's a schedule and a course to this, and that's what we have to follow."

It is possible that a potential trial date could fall during the season, and Cooper could also face an NFL suspension of up to six games under the league's personal conduct policy. Asked if the situation could prove a distraction to the team, Payton said, "No. Not at all."

Arrest records indicate Cooper and his girlfriend, also arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor domestic violence with an additional charge of petty criminal mischief, were involved in a dispute over allegations of infidelity. In signed affidavits, the parties gave differing accounts of the events that caused the argument to escalate.

Payton said he spent "a lot of time" with Cooper along with Broncos owner and CEO Greg Penner and general manager George Paton, but declined to discuss specifics of the situation or its potential outcome.

"I don't have any comment on the specifics because I think when it's finally finished, we'll all have a better feel for it," Payton said. "It's unfair for me to answer any of those questions right now without having the totality of it finalized. I think that'll come sooner rather than later."

Cooper has started every game in each of the past three seasons for Denver and has played in 81 games (65 starts) since the Broncos selected him in the seventh round in 2021.

Cooper recorded eight sacks, 50 tackles and 16 quarterback hits last season. He has 31.5 sacks, 63 QB hits, 266 tackles, three fumble recoveries (one returned for a touchdown), two forced fumbles and one interception.

He signed a four-year, $60 million extension in November 2024.

--Field Level Media