Jonathon Cooper was arrested Thursday on charges that he violated a protection order filed against him earlier this week, according to multiple reports.
The arrest marks the second time the former Ohio State and current Denver Broncos edge rusher has been taken into custody in eight days.
According to records obtained by multiple local and national media outlets, Cooper was booked into the Douglas County Jail in Colorado at 10:07 p.m. Thursday following his arrest by Parker Police. He remained in custody Friday and was scheduled for a court hearing later in the day.
The latest arrest comes just over a week after Cooper was arrested June 4 following an alleged domestic dispute involving his girlfriend. Cooper was originally charged with misdemeanor domestic violence offenses and pleaded not guilty Monday before being released from jail on a personal recognizance bond.
Court records later showed prosecutors added a felony charge of second-degree assault by strangulation and a misdemeanor charge of third-degree assault to the case. Following his arrest Thursday, Cooper also faces charges of harassment from repeated phone calls and violation of a protection order.
According to arrest affidavits from the June 4 incident, Cooper and his girlfriend provided significantly different accounts of the altercation.
Cooper told police the argument began after his girlfriend accused him of infidelity and took his cellphone before throwing it across the room. Cooper said he grabbed her arm while retrieving the phone and "braced his neck against her neck" during an attempt to regain possession of the device. He also admitted to damaging her cellphone by biting it.
His girlfriend told police that Cooper grabbed her by the neck, held her against a wall, threw her to the ground multiple times and punched a wall near her head. One officer noted in an affidavit that marks observed on her body were not consistent with an assault, while another affidavit documented her allegations.
Broncos head coach Sean Payton addressed Cooper's situation following Thursday's practice.
"And now the process plays out," Payton told reporters. "The league obviously will be very much involved in that. We'll stay abreast, but much like you all. I think that's where it's at. We just go from there. ... We'll stay as informed as possible. We'll follow the league's guidelines, and I'm sure a lot of that will be led by the local authorities' guidelines. We'll pay attention to all of it."
The Broncos also released a statement Friday.
"We are disappointed to learn of Jonathon Cooper's arrest on Thursday and continue to review this matter," the team said.
The NFL has already indicated it has been in contact with the Broncos regarding Cooper's initial arrest and could ultimately take action under the league's personal conduct policy.
A two-time captain and Block O recipient at Ohio State, Cooper played for the Buckeyes from 2016-20 before being selected by Denver in the seventh round of the 2021 NFL draft. He signed a four-year, $60 million contract extension with the Broncos in 2024 and recorded eight sacks during the 2025 season.
