What a Jonathon Cooper Extension Might Look Like for Broncos

Jonathon Cooper is making himself indispensable to the Denver Broncos, but what would the parameters of an extension look like?

Sep 22, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Denver Broncos linebacker Jonathon Cooper (0) celebrates after he sacked Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) (not pictured) during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

The Denver Broncos got two 2021 draft picks signed to a new deal: cornerback Patrick Surtain II and offensive guard Quinn Meinerz. These two headline a 2021 draft class that has contributed plenty in the past few seasons.

But another member of that draft class has emerged as a candidate for extension: rush linebacker Jonathon Cooper, a seventh-round pick.

Cooper spent his first two seasons as a rotational player but did start 14 of the 30 games for which he was active. In 2023, he started all 17 games and broke out with 22 quarterback pressures, nine hurries, and 8.5 sacks.

Through four games, Cooper has continued to play well, with eight pressures and three sacks to his credit. While not an elite player, he looks like a keeper.

The question is how much Cooper is worth in an extension. He’s a quality No. 2 pass rusher, but what are such assets making these days?

As it turns out, we have a recent free-agent signing who makes for a good comparison.

The Bryce Huff Comp

During the 2024 offseason, the Philadelphia Eagles signed Huff, a free-agent edge rusher, to a three-year, $51 million contract with $34M fully guaranteed. He was coming off a career-high 10 sacks with the New York Jets in 2023.

Huff went undrafted but went on to play 14 games for the Jets as a rookie, then played nine in 2021, 14 in 2022, and all 17 in 2023. In his first three seasons, he tallied 35 quarterback pressures and 7.5 sacks.

Then came the 2023 season, in which Huff had 33 total pressures to go with his 10 sacks. The Eagles signed him and structured a deal to be cap-friendly but used void years for cap purposes.

The Eagles had to use two void years to account for the signing bonus he got. The Eagles have an option bonus for 2026 which, if exercised, would add two more void years. Thus, from a practical standpoint, the Eagles will have to keep him for three years, unless they don’t mind swallowing a lot of money in 2026.

But what matters in the Huff comparison is his fully guaranteed salary of $34M. That’s likely what Cooper will aim to meet or surpass in an extension.

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What it Means For the Broncos

The good news is that the Broncos don’t necessarily have to use an option bonus in Cooper’s deal in future seasons. If the Broncos signed him to an extension now, they could use an option bonus for 2025, but it’s unnecessary.

The Broncos are projected to have $56.9M in cap space for 2025 once they get 51 players under contract, per Over the Cap. Keep in mind that it's based on a projected base salary cap of $272.5M and does not account for cap carryover from 2024, any incentives players earn this year, or any proven performance escalators for 2022 draft picks.

However, the Broncos should have the cap space available to get a deal done for Cooper without having to structure it the way the Eagles did with Huff.

If Cooper continues to play at his current level, a three-year, $56M deal with $35M guaranteed would be reasonable. If the Broncos get a deal done during the season, they could consider an option bonus for 2025 to lower his cap number that year, but it’s not absolutely necessary.

Regardless of what the Broncos do, chances are that Cooper will be in a great position to cash in on a new contract. But given that GM George Paton has shown a willingness to take care of the Broncos he drafted — as evidenced by the Surtain and Meinerz extensions — it won’t surprise if the team gets a deal done with Cooper before he hits free agency.

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