Broncos trim to 53 as Jonathon Cooper heads to the commissioner’s exempt list

The Denver Broncos entered the NFL’s roster-management window with a key personnel development that quickly became the story inside the building. According to Pro Football Rumors, the team learned earlier Sunday that Jonathon Cooper would land on the commissioner’s exempt list, and Denver then finalized a series of cuts to get down to the required 53-man roster limit.

In NFL roster terms, the commissioner’s exempt list is generally used as a holding designation related to league review and certain situations that can affect a player’s eligibility. It is not the same as being placed on injured reserve, but it can influence how teams balance immediate roster needs with longer-term roster planning. For Denver, the Cooper development also intersected with how the club managed injured reserve return slots.

Pro Football Rumors reported that the Broncos “use both IR-return slots” in the process of paring down to 53. The league allows clubs to activate or return players from injured reserve under specific rules and designations, and using both slots typically indicates a roster strategy that keeps multiple paths open for a later return rather than leaving those slots unused. In practical terms, it is a roster construction decision that can affect depth chart flexibility across multiple positions.

Beyond the overarching framework, the report outlined several of the Broncos’ specific roster moves. Denver released listed players including long snapper Mitchell Fraboni and tight end Lucas Krull, along with guard Calvin Throckmorton. The report also listed waivers for cornerback Brent Austin and wide receiver Michael Bandy, indicating that those players would go through the waiver process rather than immediately becoming free agents.

Denver’s trimming did not stop there. The same account included a further waiver transaction involving a long snapper, identifying “LS Luke […]” but the remaining name is cut off in the available text. Because the player’s full name is not present in the provided report excerpt, this story cannot responsibly fill in the missing details.

The Broncos’ decision to get down to 53 also fits the broader reality of NFL preseason roster realities. Teams must separate players who fit the week-to-week plan from those who can be carried only on the bubble, and the final cutdown often produces a mix of departures across skill positions and special teams roles. For Denver, that included both offensive line depth and specialty responsibilities at long snapper, a position that frequently changes hands when teams reassess preseason form and practice consistency.

What to watch next is how Denver’s early roster construction plays out once the Cooper situation is resolved through the league process. The commissioner’s exempt designation can create timing uncertainty, and it often forces teams to prioritize contingency depth in the meantime, particularly at positions where a roster spot can be difficult to refill quickly.

For now, the only firm picture from this reporting is that the Broncos moved decisively to comply with roster requirements while aligning their injured-reserve return strategy with the Cooper situation. As the season calendar progresses, the next meaningful updates will likely come from official league and team releases that clarify Cooper’s status and from any subsequent roster corrections if additional moves become necessary.