The Denver Broncos have set their 53-man roster, and all eyes are now set on Arrowhead Stadium for a Monday Night Football clash with the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1. But the news that Jonathon Cooper was placed on the commissioner's exempt list is a bit of a hurdle, even if it was expected.
Cooper will be unable to practice with or play in any games for the Broncos as long as he is under that status, raising a critical question: Do the Broncos have enough in the pass-rushing department?
Nik Bonitto remains one of the league's best pass-rusher, but the Broncos will have to turn to Jonah Elliss until Cooper is able to rejoin the team. Behind them, the only other edge rushers on the roster are Dondrea Tillman and second-year player Que Robinson.
Former Broncos star Von Miller was available for quite some time and many fans wanted to see that reunion. Instead, the Dallas Cowboys signed Miller. Should the Broncos consider another option before the season kicks off?
Broncos should at least look at free-agent market
The Broncos led the league in sacks last season and were able to generate pressure from all over the defensive alignment. It's likely that coach Sean Payton and defensive coordinator Vance Joseph are highly confident in the players they have, but a veteran option should at least be considered.
Denver Broncos linebacker Jonathon Cooper pleaded not guilty Monday to felony assault charges stemming from his June arrest. A trial is set for Nov. 10.
— The Denver Gazette (@DenverGazette) August 31, 2026
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Haasan Reddick, Leonard Floyd and Kyle Van Noy are three players who are available on the open market and while all three are north of the 30-year age barrier, they have all shown a penchant for being able to get to the quarterback. This is the same argument that was made with the Miller situation. The Broncos could really use another situational pass-rushing option.
However, signing one of these players would force the team to make a move on the 53-man roster, the same one that it recently finalized. It's much more likely that the front office will wait to see how things look without Cooper for at least one game before jumping into the free agency pool.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Should the Broncos sign a free agent pass rusher?
