Broncos agree on four-year extension with Jonathon Cooper

Jonathon Cooper had done enough to warrant being a long-term part of the Broncos. And over the weekend, he got his due reward — and a contract that makes him a core component of the team going forward.

Cooper signed a massive 4-year extension over the weekend. ESPN’s Adam Schefter first reported the move. The contract gives Cooper $33 million in guarantees and could be worth up to $60 million.

The $15-million average annual value is a fair contract for Cooper, who doesn’t yet have a double-digit sack season to his name but has established himself as one of the NFL’s most consistent all-around edge rushers. Stout against the run with the ability to close on an opposing quarterback in the pass rush, Cooper gradually worked his way into an every-down role and cemented his hold on a starting slot during his four seasons with the Broncos.

He’s also established himself as one of the Broncos’ core locker-room leaders.

JONATHON COOPER IS THE THIRD MEMBER OF THE 2021 DRAFT CLASS TO SIGN A LONG-TERM EXTENSION

The decision to extend Jonathon Cooper comes in the wake of of the Broncos wrapping up long-term deals with Quinn Meinerz and Pat Surtain II during the summer months. Cooper, like Meinerz and Surtain, was a part of the 2021 draft class that kicked off the George Paton era.

Unlike the 2022 and 2023 draft classes, Paton had a full deck of draft cards from which to draw. Surtain and Meinerz came aboard with first- and third-round choices, respectively.

Cooper, on the other hand, was a seventh-round pick. But he came with a catch: After a solid career at Ohio State — one that was comparable to that of Browning –, Cooper only fell in the draft due to a heart condition, Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, that resulted in an irregular heartbeat.

He underwent multiple procedures — including three in the in the month after the Broncos drafted him — but was cleared to play.

And from an explosive rookie preseason onward, the Broncos have reaped the rewards. Now, with this contract, Cooper will reap some of his own.