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It’s rare for anyone, much less an NFL player with legal advice, to break their silence days after a domestic violence arrest, but Denver Broncos forward Jonathon Cooper did just that, and there are some surprises.
Cooper took to his Instagram account and posted a lengthy Bible scripture in one of his stories, which seems strange considering the allegations against him.
And then he apologized for his actions.
Cooper was arrested around 11 p.m. Thursday in Colorado and was held overnight on two counts of domestic violence and one count of criminal mischief following an incident with his girlfriend, who was also arrested for domestic violence.
Denver Broncos star Jonathon Cooper was arrested early Friday morning on suspicion of two counts of domestic violence and one count of criminal mischief in Colorado. (Courtesy of Douglas County Sheriff’s Office)
BRONCOS STAR JONATHAN COOPER ARRESTED FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Cooper, a sixth-year player with 31.5 career sacks, appeared in a Douglas County courtroom Friday morning with his attorney Harvey Steinberg. A follow-up plea hearing was tentatively scheduled for Monday and Cooper, 6-foot-5 and 251 pounds, was released on personal recognizance.
And in the meantime, Cooper apologized.
He posted Bible verses about anger on his Instagram Stories, then added his own message:
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“I realize that publishing a Bible. (sic) Quote right after something very bad happens doesn’t just mean everything is okay,” Cooper posted. “I apologize to my family, friends and community.
“And so many more.”
Cooper added in another story: “I apologize. This situation is not who I am.”
The scripture Cooper posted is a highlighted photo of Ephesians 4:26-32.
It begins…
“Do not let your anger lead you to sin, and do not let the sun go down on your anger.”
Verses 31 and 32, which Cooper had also underlined, read: “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and wrath, and clamor, and slander be put away from you, and all wickedness. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you. »
A legal expert who requested anonymity told PK Press Club on Sunday evening that he would have advised Cooper to remain silent, including on social media.
He said the social media post could pose a challenge for Cooper’s legal team if a case goes to trial. He said prosecutors may well use the apology as evidence, arguing to the jury that non-guilty (innocent) people have no reason to apologize.
Denver Broncos linebacker Jonathon Cooper stands on the field before the game at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado on December 21, 2025. (Ron Chenoy/Imagn Images)
All of this remains to be seen, as many of these cases do not make it past the indictment phase, much less the trial stage. And it’s much rarer when both parties are arrested for domestic violence, which is what happened in this incident.
According to the arrest affidavit, Cooper’s girlfriend and Cooper were arguing over cheating allegations.
She then grabbed Cooper’s phone, threw it away, then picked it up and tried to look through it. Cooper allegedly made some sort of physical contact with her as he tried to get her phone back, according to the affidavit.
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Conflicting statements from the two witnesses (Cooper and his girlfriend) and the lack of bruises, scratches, or other credible evidence of physical contact led the responding officer to conclude that there was “no probable cause for harassment or assault charges.”
Denver Broncos linebacker Jonathon Cooper warms up before the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on October 5, 2025. (Eric Hartline/Imagn Images)
Cooper admitted, however, that he caused “disabling damage” to his girlfriend’s phone when he bit her. Yes, weird.
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The affidavit also includes allegations from the girlfriend that Cooper grabbed her by the throat, although the officer concluded that a “small mark on [her] the neck didn’t seem to match the statement [she] had been held in the air by the throat by another individual.”
Both the Broncos and the NFL are aware of the incident.
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