NFL Removes Josh Jacobs and Jonathon Cooper From Exempt List, Both Eligible Oct. 25 as Conduct Reviews Continue

The NFL said Friday, Oct. 16, that it is removing Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs and Denver Broncos linebacker Jonathon Cooper from the Commissioner Exempt List. Both had been on it since Aug. 30 and both missed six games.

Cooper's removal is effective today because the Broncos already played their Week 6 game, a 17-14 win over Seattle on Thursday night. Jacobs comes off Monday, Oct. 19, after the Packers play Dallas on Sunday night. Both are eligible to play Oct. 25, Jacobs at Detroit and Cooper at Arizona.

The league's review is not finished

For each player, the NFL said its review under the personal conduct policy "remains ongoing and is not affected by this change" to his roster status.

Money is also at stake. Players on the exempt list are paid. If the league later suspends either man, the games already missed count toward the suspension, and the player must repay the corresponding game checks. Six games is the baseline for a first violation involving domestic violence.

The NFL acted at six games, so a longer suspension would mean more missed time on top of what both have already sat out. The league has not said when it will rule.

Jacobs: plea deal, sealed-video fight

Jacobs was arrested in Wisconsin in May on initial charges tied to an altercation with his girlfriend, including felony strangulation and suffocation. The Brown County District Attorney's Office announced the charges in August. On Sept. 10, Jacobs pleaded no contest to two misdemeanors: battery and criminal damage to property.

The terms, as reported: a $1,000 fine, counseling, restitution for destroyed property and no contact with the victim. If he meets those conditions for one year, the property damage charge will be dismissed.

On Oct. 15, Jacobs filed a lawsuit seeking to permanently seal evidence in the case, including alleged video of the incident. The NFL has not viewed surveillance video from his home, and it could factor into the league's discipline decision.

Jacobs' attorneys, Clarence Duchac III, David Chesnoff and Richard Sconfield, issued a statement. "Josh has dedicated the last several months to bettering himself, and he accepts responsibility for his actions," it said. "He is excited to get back to work and on the field with his teammates." They added that because legal matters are ongoing, he will make no further comment.

Jacobs is in the third year of a four-year, $48 million deal signed before the 2024 season. The Packers went 3-2 without him. Marshawn Lloyd leads the team with 112 rushing yards and two touchdowns, and Kaleb Johnson has 106 yards.

Cooper: felony case still ahead

Cooper's legal situation is more serious and less settled. He was arrested June 4 after an argument and physical confrontation with his then-girlfriend. Both were initially arrested, and Cooper first faced a criminal-mischief charge.

Prosecutors then dropped the charges against the woman and added charges against Cooper, including felony second-degree assault by strangulation. A protection order was granted to her.

A week later, Cooper was arrested again. According to the arrest affidavit, he tried to contact the woman in violation of that order. The added charges include harassment by repeated calls and violating the protection order. He faces five charges in all and has pleaded not guilty.

A pretrial hearing is set for Feb. 19. His trial is scheduled for March 2-4, moved back from mid-November. A conviction could bring a suspension at the start of the 2027 season under the conduct policy.

Cooper, 28, a seventh-round pick of Denver in 2021, is making $12 million this season. He posted a statement on Instagram. "Playing in the NFL and representing the Denver Broncos is a privilege I do not take for granted," he wrote, thanking ownership, teammates, coaches and Commissioner Roger Goodell. "Over the last several months, I've spent a lot of time working to better myself. That work will continue."

He was allowed in meetings and workouts at team headquarters during the exemption but could not practice. He can resume practicing under a one-week roster exemption when the team returns from its long weekend next week.

What comes next

Eligibility is not a guarantee of playing time. Whether each man plays Oct. 25 is a decision for the coaches. Denver's situation at the position is also unsettled: Jonah Ellis, who started in Cooper's place, appeared to suffer a potentially serious right leg injury late Thursday while rushing Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold.

The open questions are all on the league's side. The NFL has not announced a timeline for discipline in either case, and Jacobs' effort to seal the video evidence will bear on what the league can see.