The Denver Broncos’ outside linebacker, Jonathon Cooper, was back in court on Monday. He pleaded not guilty to domestic violence charges stemming from an alleged incident involving his girlfriend in a Douglas County, Colorado, courtroom after he was arrested twice in one week in June.

“Broncos OLB Jonathon Cooper pleaded not guilty to multiple domestic violence charges Monday in a Douglas County (Colorado) courtroom, per @Jeff_Legwold. A trial date for Cooper was set for Nov. 10 with a jury,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter said on X.

His trial is scheduled for Nov. 10, while the court will hold a pretrial hearing on Oct. 30. Cooper is facing four charges in total:

One felony and three misdemeanors.

The most serious charge is second-degree assault by strangulation, while the misdemeanor charges include allegedly breaking a protection order.

The felony comes from his first arrest on June 4, after a forensic nurse examined his girlfriend and reported an injury linked to choking.

Now, the Broncos moved Cooper to the commissioner’s exempt list after finalizing their 53-man roster. He can still go to the team facility and work out, but cannot practice with his teammates or play in the NFL games.

Before this move, Cooper had been part of training camp and even served as a team captain in Denver’s 34-6 preseason win over the Minnesota Vikings. But his move to training camp was not that easy.

Cooper wasn’t part of his team’s mandatory minicamp in June. But then, after spending more than a month at an inpatient clinic near Vail, he was cleared to come back to training camp.

Cutting ties with Cooper doesn’t make much sense as he is a solid player. He has spent his entire six-year NFL career with the Denver Broncos, where he has recorded 31.5 sacks so far, with his best season coming in 2024, when he had 10.5 sacks.

This time, although the Broncos didn’t take him out, they made sure to monitor the entire situation.

“We continue to take this very seriously,” General manager George Paton said. “We’re going to monitor all the legal developments and continue to support Jonathon.”

The case now moves toward the Nov. 10 jury trial while the NFL continues its investigation under the league’s domestic violence rule. The time he spends away from games on the exempt list can count toward that suspension. However, there is a catch: if the league later suspends him, he may have to return the money he received while on the exempt list.

Jonathan Cooper knows the seriousness of the situation. That’s why he apologized too after his arrest on June 7 and even urged people to not judge him based on the case.

The first thing Cooper shared was a photo of a Bible passage from Ephesians 4: 26, which states, “do not let your anger lead you into sin.”

“I realize posting a bible. Quote right after something very serious happens does not just mean everything is okay,” Cooper wrote on an IG story. “I apologize to my family and my friends and my community … And so many others. Sincerely. I apologize. This situation is not who I am.”

Let’s dig into how the team is holding up after Jonathan Cooper was sidelined.

Broncos lineup after Jonathan Cooper’s suspension

With Cooper out, Jonah Elliss, Que Robinson and Dondrea Tillman will likely get more chances to play and show what they can do. Mike McGlinchey said the three players each have their own strengths, especially in the way they rush the quarterback and defend the edge.

“I think those guys all bring different skill sets and traits of why they’re all good,” McGlinchey said. “Each guy brings something a little bit different in how they rush, how they set the edge, but all of them are very successful at doing it, and they’re going to do a great job when they get plugged in there.”

On the field, Jonah Elliss is likely to get the first chance to fill Cooper’s spot, as 28-year-old is expected to be out for two to six games. Elliss has shown promise in training camp. Que Robinson could also see more playing time, while Dondrea Tillman and Nik Bonitto give Denver other options on the edge.

The Broncos face a tough test right away. They begin the season on the road against the Kansas City Chiefs in a primetime game. After that, they play the Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Chargers, and defending champion Seattle Seahawks.

That means Denver cannot afford for its pass rush to slow down. With Cooper unavailable, Elliss and Robinson will have to step up quickly and make an impact. If they can do that, the Broncos may be able to keep their defense strong despite losing an important starter.