NFL placing Broncos' Jonathon Cooper on exempt list after June arrests: Source

The NFL has placed Broncos outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper on the commissioner’s exempt list, according to a league source speaking to The Athletic on condition of anonymity because the move was not yet public. The decision follows two June arrests tied to domestic incidents involving his then-girlfriend. Cooper was first arrested on June 4 after police were called to his apartment following an altercation; he was initially charged with domestic violence and misdemeanor criminal mischief. Those charges were later upgraded to include felony second-degree assault by strangulation after additional review that included a report from a nurse who examined the woman the night of the incident. While on the exempt list, Cooper receives full salary but cannot play or practice. Commissioner Roger Goodell controls the list’s timing and removal, and Cooper will not count against the 53-man roster limit. The NFL could still impose a suspension.