The Denver Broncos are officially able to roster and play Jonathon Cooper after his removal from the Commissioner Exempt list. Being on the exempt list does serve as the de-facto suspension that the league likely wanted Cooper to have, given his off-field legal troubles this summer.
The trial for Cooper is March, so his removal from the list now does not mean he is totally out of the woods in terms of further punishment. For now, he is eligible to practice and play for the Broncos as early as Week 7. Denver managed to get out of the first six games 4-2, which does feel like the best-case scenario given how tough the schedule was.
And now, with Cooper's return, it really feels like his insertion back into the lineup could not have come at a more ideal time.
Denver Broncos are getting Jonathon Cooper back right as the season really gets rolling
In the fourth quarter of the Broncos win over the Seattle Seahawks, Jonah Elliss, who has been playing more with Cooper's absence, seemed to have gotten his right leg tied up in a bad spot:
Jonah Elliss in a boot and crutches at the Colorado Utah game last night. https://t.co/lCAMTesL20 pic.twitter.com/c64QW3ZbhI
— Romi Bean (@Romi_Bean) October 18, 2026
He was also spotted in a walking boot and crutches in the days after the game. It's not clear at the moment what Elliss is dealing with, but it's also not hard to see that he could miss some time. With Cooper being eligible to return, though, the Broncos will get their second-best pass-rusher back in the fold, and their best EDGE run defender.
And that's really the main thing that this team has been missing - the Broncos have been softer against the run than you'd like - the Broncos are allowing the 2nd-most rushing yards in the league this year at 139.8. The team's pass defense is still among the best in the league, but, for reference, in 2025, the Broncos allowed 91.1 rushing yards per game, which was the 2nd-best in the league. In 2024, they allowed 96.4 yards per game, which ranked 3rd in the league.
Simply put, the Broncos are missing a key part of their run defense in Cooper. He's able to set the edge nicely, and while Nik Bonitto, for example, is stellar as a rusher, he's never been known as a player who excels in run defense, as he doesn't always play those snaps anyway.
Cooper is also, simply, a good player and a quality EDGE rusher in this league. From 2023-2025, Cooper amassed 27 sacks, 27 tackles for loss, and 49 quarterback hits. He didn't miss a start in those three seasons and had a career-high 10.5 sacks in the 2024 season.
Sure, the departure of John Franklin-Myers also hurts, but Cooper was and still is the most complete EDGE on the team. His return to the Broncos defensive lineup comes at a time where this team needs to begin to give their record some breathing room.
The schedule also softens up quite bit from Week 7 through the rest of the season, so now is really the time for the 2026 Broncos to go on a run. Cooper could realistically start in Week 7 if the Broncos thought he was ready.
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