Denver Broncos Jonathon Cooper has Gone from Hero to Zero in a Week

Denver Broncos Jonathon Cooper went from hero to zero as one of the latest in a long line of NFL domestic violence issues that has plagued the league.

He's not even the latest because Alaric Jackson of the LA Rams was arrested on Monday, June 8 which was two days after Cooper of the Broncos was arrested for domestic violence. The details of both Jackson's—he "roughed up" a pregnant woman—and Cooper's domestic violence arrests have only worsened as days have gone on.

Cooper's girlfriend originally told the police on June 4 that Cooper lifted her off the ground by her neck, and a police officer said her injuries didn't match that allegation. But new evidence which was unearthed by the Denver Post shows that a nurse checked his girlfriend and she showed signs of a “substantial risk of death” due to “strangulation and hypoxia.”

Which lines up with her story.

Denver Broncos Jonathon Cooper has Gone from Hero to Zero in a Week

Cooper has been a rising star within the Denver Broncos organization. And now fans on social media are calling for him to be cut.

After being drafted by Denver in 2021 in the 7th round, he's elevated his game and been a full-time starter the last three years, racking up 27 sacks over that time.

He and Nik Bonitto have been one of the most dominant outside edge rushing duos in the NFL lately.

Now with this arrest and the evolution of the evidence, Cooper has gone from hero to zero.

Timeline of how the Jonathon Cooper case has evolved

• June 4: Cooper and his girlfriend both arrested for domestic violence. They wrestled over his phone and he bit her phone so hard it was disabled. He also said he braced his neck against hers. But his girlfriend alleged that he "grabbed her by the neck and held her against the wall for about a minute," though police on the scene said her injuries were not consistent with that allegation.
• June 11: Cooper violated the restraining order, texted his girlfriend "20 times" during the day and showed up to her house, pounding on the door for 5-10 minutes before the police were called. He was arrested for a second time.
• June 11: Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton on the situation said, "And now the process plays out. The league obviously will be very much involved in that. We'll stay abreast, but much like you all. I think that's where it's at. We just go from there. We'll stay as informed as possible. We'll follow the league's guidelines, and I'm sure a lot of that will be led by the local authorities' guidelines. We'll pay attention to all of it."
• June 12: A new affidavit obtained by the Denver Post says a nurse who checked Cooper's girlfriend after the initial incident said there was a “substantial risk of death” due to “strangulation and hypoxia.” One of Cooper's charges was elevated to a felony.
• June 12: The Denver Broncos responded, "We are disappointed to learn of Jonathon Cooper's arrest on Thursday and continue to review this matter." And NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said in a statement that the league will "continue to monitor all developments in the matter which remains under review of the personal conduct policy."

What Happens Next with Jonathon Cooper and the Denver Broncos?

A pre-trial date has been set for July 6 for Cooper. And then the initial trial date is set on July 22.

While the Denver Broncos training camp schedule hasn't been announced yet, the veterans reported on July 22, 2025 for last year's training camp.

So, at the very least it seems he will miss some training camp time. Unless his lawyer can get the judge to push the date back.

If Cooper's convicted of the felony for second-degree assault by strangulation, the Broncos could (and should) cut him for conduct detrimental to the team.

His girlfriend's statement to the police read, “I started to cry and he pressed, like, further — (because) he had me held up against the wall — he just pressed further and then dropped me and just started screaming at me that it was my fault and that I, like, caused this, and that I was like, a (expletive),” according to the affidavit.

And even if he's not convicted, the NFL may suspend Cooper for six games, or possibly more.

Sean Payton is putting the onus on the NFL to make the call.

“The league’s done a good job of kind of coming in and really taking over that responsibility,” Payton said last Thursday. “We had a long visit with ‘Coop’ and now the process plays out."

It doesn't matter that Cooper was a rising star, or that he's averaged 8.8 sacks per year the last three seasons. It doesn't matter that Denver gave him a 4-year, $60M contract extension in 2024, as they clearly saw him as a building block for the team.

They can't have a guy like this on the team.

The Denver Broncos should cut Jonathon Cooper. Even if it hurts their defense and competing for the Super Bowl this year.

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Rich Kurtzman was born and raised in Denver Colorado and attended Colorado State University in Fort Collins in the aughts. He's been a professional writer since 2011, covering Colorado State football and men's basketball, as well as the Denver Broncos, for many outlets. Current Denver Broncos work can be found on Mile High Sports. Previous credits include CBS Denver and The USA TODAY Sports Media Group.