Legal Problems of Broncos Linebacker Will Could Easily Extend Into Regular Season

The Denver Broncos suddenly have a major problem at linebacker, and it has nothing to do with the play of Jonathon Cooper on the field. Cooper is no longer in the daily news after his recent pair of arrests related to a domestic violence incident, but as Parker Gabriel of the Denver Post noted, Cooper’s legal problems will almost certainly extend into September if he goes to trial.

That means that both the Broncos and the NFL will have to make some kind of decision related o the linebacker’s legal dilemma, which raises a host of possible issues that Gabriel brought up and addressed. 

First, the calendar. As matters currently stand, Cooper’s next court date will happen on July 24, the writer noted, which is just four days before Broncos veterans are slated to report to camp. 

If the case goes to trial, “it will almost certainly be well into training camp or even the regular season,” Gabriel stated. “That means the NFL and the Broncos could have to decide what, if any, punishment they will levy before the criminal proceedings play out.”

The actions of both the league and the team will doubtless be significant. The NFL’s personal conduct policy doesn’t require a player to be convicted in criminal court to be subjected to league discipline, and the yardstick to date for players involved in or charged in domestic violence incidents has been a six-game suspension, with “with possible upward or downward adjustments based on any aggravating or mitigating factors,” according to the writer. 

Any action the Broncos take would come with long-term implications. According to Gabriel, Cooper is the first player to be arrested since Payton arrived and since the Walton-Penner Family Ownership Group purchased the team in August 2022.

Another factor weighing against Cooper is the fact that coach Sean Payton also had what he called “a long visit” with the linebacker after the initial arrest. Whatever Payton said during that talk clearly didn’t take, and that will also be considered in whatever decision the Broncos make. 

The money isn’t what Gabriel called “the driving factor” in all this, but it is important. The 28-year-old signed a four-year, $54 million extension in 2024, and Gabriel noted that Cooper has already receiver $15 million of that money during the first two seasons. He’s due $12 million more this year.

In theory the Broncos could go after that money, but only $1.7 million of Cooper’s money for this year is guaranteed, so the team is far more likely to release him. There’s also the possibility of some kind of plea deal and settlement, so that’s what to watch for in the next few weeks.