Denver Broncos star Jonathon Cooper and his girlfriend have both been arrested on alleged domestic violence and criminal mischief charges.
The standout linebacker was arrested by Parker police at 11:16pm on Thursday night and booked into Douglas County Jail at 2:38am Friday morning, records show.
Cooper, 28, was still in jail as of 10:30am local time on Friday. He appeared before a judge in the 23rd Judicial District Court on Friday morning and a second hearing has been penciled in for Monday.
According to the arrest affidavit seen by The Daily Mail, Cooper and his girlfriend, Jade, of ‘approximately four years’ were arguing inside his apartment over allegations he was cheating on her.
Cooper’s girlfriend said she took his phone from him, threw it across the room and then went to retrieve it so she could look through it.
Cooper told police he grabbed his girlfriend by her upper arms and eventually managed to get his phone back from her. When she tried again to grab his phone, Cooper told officers he braced his neck against hers to stop her from reaching it.
Denver Broncos star Jonathon Cooper has been arrested on two counts of domestic violence
Cooper is key to the Broncos’ defense and played every single game in the last three seasons
After the physical struggle had ended, Cooper told officers he went over to the couch and picked up Jade’s phone. He told her if she didn’t leave the apartment, he was going to break her phone.
Cooper then said Jade didn’t leave and admitted he bit her phone, which caused ‘disabling damage’. Police officers reported that her phone had a ‘cracked screen’.
‘We are aware of the matter and are gathering more information,’ the Broncos said in a statement.
NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy added: ‘We are aware of the matter and have been in contact with club.’
Cooper was selected by the Broncos in the seventh round of the 2021 NFL Draft out of Ohio State.
He has gone on to make himself an indispensable piece of the Broncos’ defense and has played every single game in the last three seasons, recording 27 sacks.
Last season, Cooper helped the Broncos reach the playoffs and beat the Buffalo Bills before they lost to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game.
In November 2024, the Broncos signed Cooper to a four-year contract extension worth up to $60 million that included $33m in guarantees.
Cooper was forced to miss the offseason program during his rookie year because he underwent three heart procedures and was nearly implanted with a pacemaker.
His stock slipped after an EKG raised red flags just before the NFL Draft.
It revealed he needed another cardiac ablation, a procedure that scars heart tissue to block electrical signals and restore a normal heart rhythm.