Denver Broncos edge rusher Jonathon Cooper just got slammed onto the NFL commissioner’s exempt list, and it’s putting a serious dent in their early 2026 season plans. The guy is staring down anywhere from two to six missed games right off the bat, but here’s the kicker: he plead not guilty yesterday to all five domestic violence charges from incidents back in June.
The Legal Battle And A Crucial Bye Week Conflict
Cooper’s arraignment yesterday dropped a major bomb on the team’s outlook. Not only did he plead not guilty to those five charges, but the trial itself is now set for November 10th to November 13th. Yeah, that’s right, smack dab during the Broncos’ Week 10 BYE. While that timing might save him from missing *more* games during the trial, it still means the situation is far from resolved. Head Coach Sean Payton kept it totally real after Monday’s practice, saying, “We wait on the league. In the meantime, the difference now is he’s in the facility, he’s lifting, he’s in the meetings. He can’t practice, and then we just wait for this process to play out.” It’s a tough spot for everyone involved, and the team is clearly just trying to navigate the uncertainty.
Who Steps Up To Maintain The Sack Dominance?
Look, Cooper has been a absolute force for that Broncos D for five years: 81 games played, 65 starts, 266 tackles, 33 tackles for loss, 31.5 sacks, and 63 quarterback hits. That’s a massive, massive hole to fill. With him sidelined for the foreseeable future, Denver is immediately turning to Jonah Elliss, Que Robinson, and Dondrea Tillman. These aren’t just stop-gap guys either; Payton, Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph, and General Manager George Paton have all been hyping this trio up all offseason. They’re going to need that praise to translate into serious production, and fast.
Remember, the Broncos’ defense has LED the entire NFL in sacks for the past two seasons straight! To make it three in a row, Elliss, Robinson, and Tillman don’t just need to step up; they need to put together the best seasons of their young careers. The pressure is absolutely on these guys to perform and prove that Denver’s pass rush is truly an NFL powerhouse, even without one of its key players. The team’s early season success is riding on it.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Mile High Report.
Leave a Reply