Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 19, 2026

Jonathon Cooper

Jonathon Cooper is an American professional football linebacker for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Last revised
Jun 19, 2026
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Jonathon Cooper
Cooper with the Denver Broncos in 2024
No. 0 – Denver Broncos
PositionLinebacker
Roster statusActive
Personal information
Born (1998-01-08) January 8, 1998
Gahanna, Ohio, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Listed weight257 lb (117 kg)
Career information
High schoolLincoln (Gahanna)
CollegeOhio State (2016–2020)
NFL draft2021: 7th round, 239th overall pick
Career history
Awards and highlights
Career NFL statistics as of 2025
Tackles266
Sacks31.5
Forced fumbles2
Fumble recoveries3
Pass deflections7
Interceptions1
Touchdowns1
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Jonathon Cooper (born January 8, 1998) is an American professional football linebacker for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Early life

Cooper was born on January 8, 1998, in Gahanna, Ohio. His mother, Jessica Moorman, who was 17 years old at the time, was a high school student with college aspirations who worked a part-time job at an accounting firm. Initially, Moorman felt she was not ready for the responsibility of raising a child and planned to put Cooper up for adoption. However, after Cooper was born nine weeks premature and weighing only 4 pounds, she decided to raise him herself. After spending two months with Cooper in the intensive care unit, she would go on to graduate from high school and earn her college degree.1

Cooper began playing football at 6 years old, citing his mother's work ethic as a primary inspiration. Prior to beginning high school at Gahanna-Lincoln, Cooper and his mother created a workout circuit for him in their basement.1

During his freshman year, Cooper was diagnosed with Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome, a rare heart condition that often manifests in an abnormally fast heartbeat.23

College career

Cooper played college football at Ohio State University from 2016 to 2020.456 Over 45 games during his career, he had 75 tackles and 10 sacks.7 Cooper was the first Ohio State player to ever wear the number 0, which was awarded to him for his leadership qualities.1

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span Wingspan 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
6 ft 2+5⁄8 in
(1.90 m)		 253 lb
(115 kg)		 32+1⁄8 in
(0.82 m)		 9+5⁄8 in
(0.24 m)		 6 ft 5+1⁄4 in
(1.96 m)		 4.71 s 1.65 s 2.78 s 4.31 s 7.02 s 33.0 in
(0.84 m)		 9 ft 0 in
(2.74 m)		 28 reps
All values from Pro Day89

Two days before the NFL draft, doctors discovered an atrial fibrillation in Cooper's heart. His heart rhythm was particularly abnormal, and would ultimately require three separate heart procedures to treat.101

Cooper with the Broncos in 2021 source ↗

Heading into the 2021 NFL draft, Cooper expected to be picked somewhere between the third and fifth rounds. However, his health complications caused him to fall to the seventh round, where he was eventually drafted 239th overall by the Denver Broncos.11 Broncos general manager George Paton commented that he and his staff were aware of Cooper's health complications, but were enamored by his motor and leadership.1

After missing rookie minicamp, OTAs, and mandatory minicamp due to the heart procedures, Cooper was finally cleared to attend training camp after being sidelined for a month.1 On June 15, 2021, he signed his four-year rookie contract with the Broncos.12

Ahead of the 2023 season, Cooper changed his jersey number from 53 to 0, the number he wore at Ohio State.13 Cooper lead the Broncos in sacks in 2023, with eight and a half.14

On November 4, 2024, Cooper signed a four-year, $60 million extension with the Broncos after starting the season with five and a half sacks through nine games.1514 He would have his first double-digit sack season by the end of 2024, with 10.5 total sacks recorded.16

On March 21, 2025, Cooper's contract was restructured to clear cap space.17 Cooper was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week for Week 6 after recording 2.0 sacks in a win against the New York Jets.18

On June 5, 2026, Cooper and his girlfriend were arrested and held on suspicion of two counts of domestic violence and one count of criminal mischief.19 The arrest occurred after an argument and physical confrontation that began over cheating allegations and included both of their cellphones being damaged.20 Cooper allegedly bit into his girlfriend's phone, causing disabling damage to it.21 The same day, Cooper appeared in court and was released on personal recognizance.20 On June 8, Cooper appeared in court, where he pleaded not guilty to all charges.22 A motions hearing was June 6, 2026. Cooper's jury trial was also scheduled to start on July 22, 2026.23 On June 11, Cooper was arrested again and charged with two additional counts of domestic violence, one for harassment via repeated phone calls and one for violating a restraining order.24

NFL career statistics

Legend
Led the league
Bold Career high

Regular season

Year Team Games Tackles Interceptions Fumbles
GP GS Cmb Solo Ast Sck TFL Int Yds Avg Lng TD PD FF Fum FR Yds TD
2021 DEN 16 5 38 22 16 2.5 4 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
2022 DEN 14 9 48 23 25 2.0 2 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2023 DEN 17 17 72 44 28 8.5 8 1 4 4.0 4 0 2 1 0 2 35 1
2024 DEN 17 17 58 33 25 10.5 11 0 0 0.0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0
2025 DEN 17 17 50 23 27 8.0 8 0 0 0.0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0
Career 81 65 266 145 121 31.5 33 1 4 4.0 4 0 7 2 0 3 35 1

Postseason

Year Team Games Tackles Interceptions Fumbles
GP GS Cmb Solo Ast Sck TFL Int Yds Avg Lng TD PD FF Fum FR Yds TD
2024 DEN 1 1 3 1 2 0.0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2025 DEN 2 2 4 4 0 1.0 1 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Career 3 3 7 5 2 1.0 1 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
References

References

  1. Kosmider, Nick (September 16, 2024). "Broncos' Jonathon Cooper is breaking out, 3 years after his heart put NFL dream in doubt". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 2, 2025.
  2. "Arrhythmias – Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome | NHLBI, NIH". www.nhlbi.nih.gov. March 24, 2022. Retrieved April 2, 2025.
  3. Denver Broncos (December 1, 2021). 'This is me. This is what I went through': Jonathon Cooper details the cause behind his cleats. Retrieved April 2, 2025 – via YouTube.
  4. Means, Stephen (April 14, 2021). "Can Ohio State football's Jonathon Cooper raise his NFL ceiling by switching from defensive end to linebacker?". cleveland.com. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  5. Kaufman, Joey (March 31, 2021). "2021 NFL Draft: Jonathon Cooper, Baron Browning try out new positions at Ohio State pro day". Buckeye Xtra. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
  6. Rabinowitz, Bill (October 30, 2020). "Ohio State DE Jonathon Cooper determined to make senior season special". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
  7. Stoia, George (November 5, 2021). "Becoming Jonathon Cooper: How the Broncos rookie and Von Miller's mentee became the man his mother knew he could be". Colorado Springs Gazette. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
  8. "Jonathon Cooper NFL Combine and Draft Prospects". NFL.com. Retrieved June 5, 2026.
  9. "Jonathon Cooper, Ohio State, DE, 2021 NFL Draft Scout, NCAA College Football". DraftScout.com. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  10. DiLalla, Aric (August 3, 2021). "'Those heart surgeries were just another obstacle in my way': After getting through 'scary' offseason, Jonathon Cooper has sights set on making Broncos' roster". DenverBroncos.com. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  11. DiLalla, Aric (May 1, 2021). "Broncos select Ohio State OLB Jonathon Cooper with 239th-overall pick in 2021 NFL Draft". Denver Broncos. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
  12. Links, Zachary (June 15, 2021). "NFL Draft Pick Signings: 6/15/21". Pro Football Rumors. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
  13. Heath, Jon (June 13, 2023). "Broncos give Brandon McManus' old jersey number to a cornerback". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved April 13, 2025.
  14. Legwold, Jeff (November 4, 2024). "Broncos sign OLB Cooper to 4-year extension". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 3, 2025.
  15. Kelberman, Zack (November 4, 2024). "Report: Broncos Sign OLB Jonathon Cooper to Monster Deal". Denver Broncos On SI. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
  16. "Jonathon Cooper Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 4, 2025.
  17. Kelberman, Zack (March 21, 2025). "Report: Broncos Redo Vet Deal, Create Millions in Cap Room". Denver Broncos On SI. Retrieved April 3, 2025.
  18. DiLalla, Aric (October 15, 2025). "OLB Jonathon Cooper named AFC Defensive Player of the Week after Week 6 win vs. Jets". Denver Broncos. Retrieved October 15, 2025.
  19. Beese, Wilson; Klis, Mike (June 5, 2026). "Broncos' Jonathon Cooper, girlfriend arrested on domestic violence charges". 9news.com. Retrieved June 7, 2026.
  20. Legwood, Jeff (June 5, 2026). "Broncos LB Jonathon Cooper arrested on domestic violence charges". ESPN. Retrieved June 7, 2026.
  21. "Broncos' Jonathon Cooper, LB's girlfriend reportedly arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor domestic violence, criminal mischief". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved June 7, 2026.
  22. Legwold, Jeff (June 8, 2026). "Broncos' Cooper pleads not guilty; trial set for late July". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 8, 2026.
  23. https://people.com/denver-broncos-jonathon-cooper-pleads-not-guilty-after-domestic-violence-arrest-11993352%7Ctitle=Denver Broncos’ Jonathon Cooper Pleads Not Guilty After Domestic Violence Arrest|first=Natasha|last=Dye|work=People.com|date=June 8, 2026|accessdate=June 9, 2026}}
  24. "Broncos' Jonathon Cooper arrested again on four charges, including harassment, violation of protection order". NFL.com. June 12, 2026. Retrieved June 12, 2026.
External links