Mile High Sports
The Denver Broncos have been busy on Monday following the team’s blowout loss against the Baltimore Ravens. While Sunday’s game wasn’t good news, the Broncos are in the process of shaping the mold of their future roster and are keeping Jonathon Cooper in their plans for the foreseeable future.
The Denver Broncos vision for the outside linebacker position has certainly taken shape on Monday. Denver traded away former 2021 third-round pick Baron Browning to the Arizona Cardinals and announced the extension of Jonathon Cooper shortly afterward.
Over the weekend, Cooper signed a four-year extension that is worth up to $60 million, with $33.1M in guaranteed money. Cooper has earned this extension after he’s really emerged as a key starter for the Broncos defense over the last two seasons.
He was set to become a free agent after 2024, but Denver didn’t want to let him hit the open market. Cooper had 8.5 sacks in 2023 in 17 starts and already has 5.5 through the first nine weeks of this season. Ultimately, Denver’s decision to go into free agency was going to be between Cooper and Browning, but the injuries to Browning made Cooper the more favorable option for an in-season extension.
With Nik Bonitto’s emergence as a potential star pass rusher opposite of him, the Broncos believe their young pass rush depth can be one of the best units in football. Behind Cooper and Bonitto, rookie Jonah Elliss has been impressive in his rotation as a role player. After Browning’s injury in Week 2, the team saw a more extensive look at undrafted rookie free agent Dondrea Tillman, who they are high on in terms of his developmental trajectory.
On top of that, second-year linebacker Drew Sanders will stay as an outside linebacker once he fully recovers from the torn Achilles injury he suffered in April, with the possibility of returning before this season ends.
Cooper’s extension is well deserved, and his journey is a testament to overcoming the odds, playing with a high motor, and staying patient throughout the process. Now, he’s locked in for the next four years.
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