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Broncos excuse Cooper from camp after arrests

ESPN · Jun 17, 2026, 2:15 AM

Key takeaways

  • "He's taking this time, obviously, he's got to work on himself,'' Broncos coach Sean Payton said after Tuesday's practice.
  • The 28-year-old Cooper, who practiced during the team's OTAs the previous two weeks, was first arrested June 4 by police in Parker, Colorado, after an argument and confrontation with his girlfriend.
  • Cooper appeared in Douglas County (Colorado) Court on Friday and was released on a personal recognizance bond and ordered to abide by a strict "no contact'' protection order.

Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- The Denver Broncos excused outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper from their mandatory minicamp this week after he was arrested twice in a seven-day span on multiple domestic violence charges, including one felony.

"He's taking this time, obviously, he's got to work on himself,'' Broncos coach Sean Payton said after Tuesday's practice. "The club is very much in tuned 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 that we have, and an expectation that we have, that's very high. We'll consider all of that as we continue to gather the information ... we're continuing to go through that process, and we take it very seriously.''

The 28-year-old Cooper, who practiced during the team's OTAs the previous two weeks, was first arrested June 4 by police in Parker, Colorado, after an argument and confrontation with his girlfriend. He faced multiple charges from that arrest, one of which was upgraded to felony second-degree assault Wednesday. Cooper was arrested again Thursday on multiple charges that included harassment.

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