Denver Broncos linebacker Jonathon Cooper was excused from mandatory minicamp on Tuesday after being arrested twice in the last two weeks, which head coach Sean Payton touched on in a press conference.
"Before I get into the practice -- relative to Jonathon Cooper, we've excused him from this minicamp," Payton told reporters. "He's taking this time; obviously, he's got to work on himself, and the club is very much in tune to the league office, local authorities here and we've had several meetings.
"Clearly, from an ownership standpoint, head coach, organizationally, there's a bar we have and an expectation that we have that's very high. We'll consider that as we continue to gather the information. That's all I can really tell you, and I think it will take a little bit of time, but we're continuing to go through that process, and we take it very seriously."
Cooper initially was arrested and jailed in Douglas County (Colo.) early on June 4 on misdemeanor domestic violence charges before being released later that morning. A felony charge for second-degree assault by strangulation and an additional misdemeanor charge of third-degree assault stemming from that incident were announced in court on June 10, according to ESPN, citing court records.
On June 11, he was charged with harassment due to repeated phone calls and violating a protection order. He was held overnight at the Douglas County Jail before a scheduled court hearing.
Payton would not comment further when asked about Cooper by a pair of reporters. He told the media that the NFL and local authorities are handling the investigation.
A hearing for Cooper's original arrest is set for July 6, with another on July 14 for his latest arrest. A trial is scheduled to begin July 22, just before the Broncos begin training camp.
Cooper, 28, has started every game in each of the past three seasons for Denver and has played in 81 games (65 starts) since the Broncos drafted 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 for a touchdown), two forced fumbles and one interception.
He signed a four-year, $60 million extension in November 2024.
--Field Level Media
