The Denver Broncos have activated edge rusher Jonathon Cooper ahead of their upcoming road game against the Arizona Cardinals. Cooper, 28, spent the opening six weeks of the NFL season on the commissioner’s exempt list following a pair of arrests during the offseason.
Cooper faces multiple legal charges, including felony second-degree assault by strangulation, and is scheduled to stand trial in March. Despite his absence from the field to start the year, Cooper has established himself as a significant contributor to the Broncos’ defense in previous seasons, accumulating 27 total sacks over the past three campaigns. During the 2025 season alone, he recorded eight sacks, 50 combined tackles, and four passes defended.
Even without Cooper for the first six games, the Broncos maintained a strong pass rush. Denver enters the matchup with a 4-2 record and is tied for fourth in the NFL with 18 team sacks. Zach Allen has anchored the defensive front during Cooper’s absence, leading the team with 4.5 sacks, while teammate Nik Bonitto has contributed 3.5 sacks.
In addition to reinstating Cooper, the Broncos activated running back Jonah Coleman to the active roster. To accommodate the roster changes, the team placed running back Tyler Badie and outside linebacker Jonah Elliss on injured reserve. Furthermore, the organization elevated safety Taylor Rapp and defensive back Sean Fresch Jr. from the practice squad for the weekend fixture.
