Denver Broncos Excuse Jonathon Cooper From Minicamp Following Arrests

The Denver Broncos excused outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper from mandatory minicamp this week following two arrests within seven days on multiple domestic violence charges, including one felony.

Coach Sean Payton said after Tuesday’s practice that Cooper would take this time to work on himself. “The club is very much in tuned to the league office, local authorities here, and we’ve had several meetings,” Payton stated. “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.”

Cooper, 28, had previously participated in the team’s OTAs over the past two weeks before being arrested June 4 by police in Parker, Colorado. That incident followed an argument and confrontation with his girlfriend. From that arrest, Cooper faced multiple charges, with one later upgraded to felony second-degree assault on Wednesday.

Authorities arrested Cooper a second time on Thursday, again on multiple charges that included harassment.

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After his second arrest, Cooper appeared in Douglas County Court on Friday. He was released on a personal recognizance bond and ordered to follow a “no contact” protection order. The court also required advance approval for any travel outside Colorado.

The Broncos opened their mandatory minicamp Tuesday. It is the only portion of their offseason program where players can be fined for missing participation, and it is scheduled to run through Thursday.

The team’s offseason program will conclude with the minicamp, and training camp is set to open in the last week of July. Cooper’s long-term status with the team remains uncertain.

Court records show Cooper is scheduled for motion hearings on July 6 and July 14, one for each arrest. A jury trial is scheduled to start on July 22.

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When asked if the franchise intended to wait for the legal process to conclude before determining Cooper’s future, Payton said, “There’s a process period from the league and that involves the local law enforcement. We’ll continue to gather that information.”

The NFL is also monitoring the situation. According to a league spokesman, Cooper could face suspension under the league’s personal conduct policy.

The situation continues to unfold amid ongoing court proceedings and coordination with the league’s review process.

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