Denver Broncos OLB Jonathon Cooper has officially been placed on the NFL Commissioner’s exempt list by Roger Goodell. This move, reported by 9NEWS Denver’s Mike Klis, puts Cooper on paid leave until further notice, meaning he can’t play or practice. It also means he won’t count against the Broncos’ critical 53-man roster as they work through cuts today.
The Charges, The List, And What It Means
The reason for Cooper’s placement on this special administrative leave is serious: it stems from two domestic incidents back in June that led to five charges, including Felony Second-Degree Assault. The Commissioner’s Exempt List is exactly for situations like this, holding a player away from game action while serious off-field legal or personal investigations are pending. Cooper has an arraignment scheduled for Monday, August 31st, and with his legal case expected to drag on for months, it’s going to be a while before we see how this all shakes out. He’s still facing a potential suspension from the NFL too; domestic violence offenses typically carry a baseline of six games. This was an expected move, as Klis has been talking about it all week, but it definitely gives the Broncos some clarity as they trim their roster from 91 players to 53 today.
Broncos’ D-Line Adjusts On The Fly
With Cooper sidelined for the foreseeable future, the Broncos are already making moves on their depth chart. Third-year edge rusher Jonah Elliss is now expected to step up and start opposite All-Pro Nik Bonitto. Elliss has apparently had a strong summer, consistently bringing pressure on the quarterback throughout the preseason, which is a good sign for Broncos fans. But they’re going to need more. Second-year edge rusher Que Robinson, who Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph tabbed as a future starter during his rookie year, is slated to get significant snaps off the bench. The same goes for reserve edge rusher and interception specialist Dondrea Tillman. The Broncos do have some depth at edge rusher to handle Cooper’s loss, which is a relief, but this situation still weakens their overall depth quite a bit. It’ll be interesting to see if they look to add more pass-rush depth in the coming days.
We’ll all be watching to see what happens during Cooper’s arraignment tomorrow and how this situation progresses in the coming weeks and months.
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.
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