Entering 2022, Jonathon Cooper’s focus was on translating his flashes of game-changing play as a rookie into more consistent production in Year 2.
But those plans were derailed on the first day of OTAs when the outside linebacker got his left index finger caught in another player’s jersey. That caused the tendon at the top of his finger to tear off the bone, which required surgery to re-attach the tendon followed by a three-month rehabilitation.
“I worked my tail off this offseason,” Cooper said. “In my get-offs, in my legs, being more violent with my hands and understanding the game more. That’s why it was such a blow when I got hurt the first day of OTAs and it took me out for three months. I was mad. I was very mad.
“I could only do so much and I had to go see a specialist, an occupational therapist. The fingers are very intricate, so it was a lot of intricate finger workouts and rehab stuff with bending my finger and closing my hand (into a fist). I was very upset to get sidelined by something so minor.”
Cooper, the Broncos’ seventh-round pick last year out of Ohio State, isn’t a stranger to rough starts. His rookie year was nearly derailed by three heart ablation surgeries, which caused him to miss most of the offseason.
The 24-year-old got his legs under him as he went, appearing in 16 games with five starts, 38 tackles (22 solo) and 2.5 sacks. He’ll need to re-acclimate quickly again this season after returning to practice last week and playing 31 snaps in Saturday’s preseason loss in Buffalo.
“I need those reps that I missed because of the finger,” Cooper said. “Going into my second year I felt like I needed those OTAs and all those training camp reps so I could elevate my game some more. With me not being able to do that, and then having to go out there and just play now and get those reps back, I feel just a little off. But I’m getting it back.”
With the majority of starters expected to sit in Denver’s preseason finale Saturday against the Vikings at Empower Field, Cooper sees another opportunity to prove he can contribute to a pass rush headlined by Bradley Chubb and Randy Gregory.
Beyond those two and backups Malik Reed and rookie Nik Bonitto, Cooper is competing for a roster spot with Aaron Patrick (a key special teams player) and Jonathan Kongbo.
Cooper said he wants to show “that I’m a better player than I was last year, and that I’m growing and I’m getting better.”
“I want to prove that what you saw last year with me, that’s not the end-all, be-all,” he said. “I feel like I have a lot more to offer and I’m still a young person in this league. As far as my role goes, I mean, I’m willing to do whatever this team wants to me to do.”
