Denver Broncos linebacker Jonathon Cooper is once again available to take the field. The NFL removed Cooper from the commissioner's exempt list on Friday, clearing the way for him to play in Week 7, according to reporting by Jeff Legwold of ESPN.
Cooper had been placed on the exempt list on Aug. 30, a designation that kept him away from team activities while the league reviewed his situation. The move to reinstate him does not close the matter entirely, however, as the possibility of league discipline remains.
The linebacker was arrested two times within a single week in June, with both arrests involving domestic violence charges. Those legal proceedings continue to hang over his status even as he returns to the Broncos' active roster.
For the Broncos, Cooper's return provides additional depth at linebacker heading into a critical stretch of the season. The commissioner's exempt list is a mechanism that allows the league to remove a player from the field while it conducts its own investigation, without that time counting against the player's suspension eligibility.
The NFL has not announced whether Cooper will face further punishment under the personal conduct policy. Any such decision would come after the league completes its review of the pending legal matters.
