Broncos assistant coach arrested on second-degree assault charge

A Denver Broncos assistant coach spent Sunday night in custody at the Downtown Detention Center.

Broncos outside linebackers coach Michael Wilhoite was arrested on a charge of second-degree assault on a peace officer.

Wilhoite was placed in custody early Sunday evening. He is scheduled to appear in court Monday morning at 10:30 a.m. MST.

The 38-year-old Wilhoite has been with the Broncos since 2023, joining the team as a part of Sean Payton’s initial Denver coaching staff. He worked with Payton in New Orleans for two seasons (2019 and 2020) before a two-year stint on the staff of the Los Angeles Chargers as linebackers coach.

Prior to entering the coaching ranks, Wilhoite had a six-season playing career, with five seasons on the San Francisco 49ers — plus a brief stint on their practice squad late in 2011 — before concluding his playing career in Seattle in 2017.

The Broncos had their first double-digit sackers in six years on Wilhoite’s watch, as two of his outside linebackers — Jonathon Cooper and Nik Bonitto — hit that milestone. Cooper logged 10.5 sacks while Bonitto notched 13.5 sacks.

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