The Denver Broncos might have to be content without Jonathon Cooper heading into the summer. The edge rusher just had his jury trial officially scheduled for July 24, 2026. That is the exact same week NFL veterans are supposed to report for camp.

As per Luca Evans of The Denver Post, all charges against the Outside Linebacker have been consolidated into a felony assault case levied by the DA last week.

"[Jonathon Cooper is] scheduled to appear in court for disposition hearing [on] July 24," Evans noted on X. "Previous jury trial scheduled for July 22nd/23rd has been eliminated."

Instead of moving ahead on a motion to dismiss, Cooper’s defense attorney, Harvey Steinberg, is aggressively pushing the court to fast-track everything.

The defense wants a quick verdict before the team’s camp practices start ramping up into high gear.

Cooper was apprehended by the authorities twice in a span of eight days, first on June 4 and then on June 11.

"For further explanation, Cooper had three separate outstanding cases in Douglas County court --", Luca Evans of the Denver Post explained on X. "One misdemeanor charge from original arrest, two assault charges, and misdemeanor for last Thursday's arrest for violating protection order/harassment."

As part of his bond, Cooper also has travel limits on him, keeping him in Colorado. Meaning he now needs court approval just to play away games. Now all these charges have been combined.

The 23rd Judicial District Attorney dropped all charges against Cooper's ex-girlfriend, according to Alan Gionet of CBS News.

This leaves the Broncos' pass rusher in the legal crosshairs, while the Denver Broncos minicamps have already begun.

Jonathon Cooper was excused from the Broncos minicamp

The Broncos officially excused Cooper from the mandatory minicamp that took place in mid-June.

"Relative to Jonathon Cooper, we’ve excused ‌him from this minicamp," Head Coach Sean Payton told reporters as per Thomson Reuters from WTVB. "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."

On the field, Denver has to find a backup plan for Cooper's 31.5 career sacks. With him sidelined, breakout star Nik Bonitto anchors the edge, with edge rushers Jonah Elliss and Que Robinson making a strong case to fill in his boots, too.

Cooper is under a four-year, $54 million extension, and his 2026 pay is worth roughly $11.49 million in base salary plus roster bonuses.

If the NFL were to discipline him under its Personal Conduct Policy, that could create serious consequences.

Read more at the Denver Broncos Community!

Written by

Nisarga Aseem Barkule

Edited by

Aadesh Dhote