ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Denver Broncos outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper was placed on the NFL's commissioner's exempt list Sunday, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
It means Cooper, who is scheduled to be in Douglas County (Colo.) court Monday for arraignment on domestic violence charges, can neither practice nor play in games for the Broncos while he is on the list. The timing of the move means Cooper does not count against the 53 players on Denver's roster leading up to Sunday's cut deadline.
The list is designed to remove a player from participation in games and practices while potential violations of the NFL's personal conduct policy are reviewed. Cooper could still face a league suspension. He will be paid while on the exempt list and can work out in the Broncos' facility and attend meetings, but he cannot participate in on-field activities.
Cooper was arrested twice in a seven-day span in June on domestic violence charges relating to incidents involving his girlfriend. He faces a felony charge of second-degree assault by strangulation and three misdemeanors, including violating a protection order. A trial date could be set Monday at his arraignment if no settlement is reached in his case before the 1:30 p.m. MT court appearance.
While most of the Broncos were given the night off in Friday's preseason finale, Cooper played eight snaps in the game. After the Broncos' 34-6 victory over the Minnesota Vikings, coach Sean Payton said Cooper had played, at least in part, because of the uncertainty surrounding his availability to start the regular season.
"Part of it also was you have to look behind [him], like who's coming in for the next three-and-a-half quarters," Payton said. "So yes, he had good work."
The Broncos have elected to allow Cooper to participate throughout training camp practices and the preseason games, saying the team was "staying the course with the league protocol, with the club protocol, relative to what we've been advised to do."
The affidavit that was included in the police investigation into Cooper's first arrest June 4 included a report from the medical exam of Cooper's girlfriend. In it, a nurse wrote that the woman experienced a physical injury from being choked that led to a "substantial risk of death" or substantial risk of injury, including the possibility of traumatic brain injury.
Payton has consistently deferred to the NFL's investigation and the legal process when he has discussed the team's approach with the sixth-year linebacker. Payton said the Broncos set guidelines for Cooper after the arrest, and that has included therapy.
Cooper was a seventh-round pick in the 2021 draft and has 31.5 sacks in 81 career games with the Broncos, including eight sacks last season. He has started every game in each of the past three seasons.
