ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Denver Broncos on Wednesday hit the field for the first time this summer after welcoming back a player and a coach who’ve had run-ins with the law.
Linebacker Jonathon Cooper, who faces an Aug. 31 arraignment on several domestic violence charges following two arrests last month, returned to the field Wednesday when the Broncos began their acclimation period ahead of the start of training camp this weekend.
Also back was Michael Wilhoite, who was recently rehired as a defensive assistant 16 months after being fired as Denver’s outside linebackers coach following an incident at the Denver International Airport where he was accused of punching a police officer.
As for Cooper, who was held out of the Broncos’ mandatory minicamp last month following his second arrest in a week’s span, coach Sean Payton said: “Well, we’re staying the course with the league protocol, club protocol relative to what we’re advised to do. He’s been fantastic working away from the building and will continue to do that and (we’ll) monitor it.
“We’re supportive and yet very much aware of the seriousness of these types of things,” Payton added. “But, pretty much what I said in the spring: there’s a schedule and a course to this that we have to follow.”
The NFL is investigating Cooper’s situation and the sixth-year pro could face a lengthy suspension under the league’s domestic violence policy.
Payton insisted Cooper’s situation isn’t a distraction: “No, not at all.”
Cooper, who has started 52 consecutive games for the Broncos, is a key member of a defense that has led the league in sacks each of the last two seasons. He was told to stay away from the Broncos’ mandatory minicamp in June following his second arrest.
Payton intimated that Cooper received counseling over the summer break, saying, “We’re proud of the work he did over the last call it month and a half. It wasn’t easy. And it’ll continue to be a challenge and we’ll see where it goes. But (we’re) fully supportive of him right now as we gather all the information and we go from there.”
Cooper, 28, was originally arrested June 4 by police in Parker along with his girlfriend following an argument and physical confrontation after she accused him of infidelity, according to a police affidavit. Later that week, prosecutors dropped charges against her and added charges against Cooper, including a felony charge of second-degree assault by strangulation, while also granting her a protection order.
The new charges stemmed from a forensic nurse’s examination of Cooper’s girlfriend at a hospital during which the nurse wrote that the woman experienced an injury from being choked that led to a “substantial risk of death” or substantial risk of injury, including the possibility of a traumatic brain injury, according to court records.
Cooper was later arrested a second time on multiple charges that he violated the protection order. Cooper was accused of sending 20 messages and making two unanswered phone calls to his girlfriend before going to her apartment and knocking on her door, according to the arrest affidavit. He left when she called 911.
Asked if he’d read what the forensic nurse wrote, Payton said, “Yeah, I’ve read all of it and, listen, I don’t have any comment on the specifics because I think, yeah, when it’s finally finished, we’ll all have a better feel. So, it’s unfair for me to answer any of those questions right now without having the totality of it finalized.”
Payton, meanwhile, recently rehired Wilhoite as a defensive assistant 16 months after he was fired for the airport incident.
Felony charges were later downgraded to misdemeanor charges of obstructing a peace officer and criminal mischief before being dropped altogether last month after Wilhoite was accepted into a diversion program.
That cleared the way for Wilhoite to return to the NFL.
“He’s obviously been away for a little bit over a year and a half, I’m a huge fan and he, too, went through a long and lengthy process, was cleared and met with all of us, we felt real good,” Payton said. “And I’m excited to have him back.”
Also back is quarterback Bo Nix, who was fully cleared for camp following offseason ankle surgery and a follow-up procedure to remove bone spurs that limited his work during the spring.
