Jonathon Cooper's return from the commissioner's exempt list couldn't have come at a better time. On Thursday night, third-year outside linebacker Jonah Elliss suffered a lower-leg injury late in the fourth quarter of the Denver Broncos' 17-14 overtime win over the Seattle Seahawks.

As Elliss turned the corner on his pass rush, Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton laid a hit on Sam Darnold, and the pair fell into Elliss's lower right leg. In a gritty heads-up move, Elliss was able to hobble off the field, one-hopping it to avoid a timeout that would have stopped the clock.

He was carted from the sideline to the locker room and did not return on Thursday night. We've heard no updates on Elliss's status.

However, on Saturday night, Elliss was at Folsom Field to root on his Utah Utes against the Colorado Buffaloes and was pictured with crutches and a boot on his right leg, courtesy of CBS Colorado's Romi Bean.

Jonah Elliss in a boot and crutches at the Colorado Utah game last night. https://t.co/lCAMTesL20 pic.twitter.com/c64QW3ZbhI

— Romi Bean (@Romi_Bean) October 18, 2026

Sean Payton will hold a zoom press conference on Monday afternoon, which will be our first chance to potentially hear an update, but knowing the Broncos' head coach, he's extremely unlikely to spill the beans on Elliss or any other injured player.

Elliss's boot-and-crutches combo implies a more serious injury, but perhaps we shouldn't rush to judgment. Remember, after Jaylen Waddle was seen exiting Empower Field at Mile High in Week 2 in a walking boot, Payton said later that it's much more common than people realize. Waddle practiced that week and played in Week 3.

Elliss has the escalating factor of the crutches to go with the boot, though. It doesn't look good, but that only makes Cooper's return all the more timely.

Elliss's Six-Game Run

Elliss has started in place of Cooper in all six games thus far. Elliss has been a solid relief starter, but has lacked the consistency as a pass rusher.

Against the Seahawks, though, Elliss totaled six QB pressures and notched his first sack of the season. In one game, he nearly matched his season total in pressures, so he may have been turning a corner. That makes this injury uniquely sucky for Elliss.

A 2024 third-round pick out of Utah, the Broncos have been looking for ways to get him on the field more, even exploring a few packages with him at inside linebacker. Cooper's legal troubles solved that problem for Denver, with Elliss taking over as a starter.

Cooper's Return

With Elliss injured, it will be interesting to see how the Broncos work Cooper back into the rush linebacker rotation. The seventh-year veteran is playing on his second contract and has totaled 27 sacks over the past three years as a starter.

Que Robinson has become a consistent impact player, and while I know many Broncos fans would love to see him start opposite Nik Bonitto, the team stood behind Cooper amid his off-the-field legal troubles for a reason.

The Broncos love Cooper, and even if Elliss hadn't gotten hurt, he was always going to step right back into his starting role opposite Bonitto. Now, that doesn't mean that Denver will throw Cooper straight into the fire; he'll likely be eased back into full starter's snaps, but he's the guy, and he's a highly paid veteran.

The Takeaway

The Broncos' pass rush has begun to come alive over the past two games. Elliss has been a part of that resurgence, especially in Week 6.

The Broncos get a one-game roster exemption with Cooper's return, but it wouldn't be a surprise if Elliss ends up on short-term injured reserve. With Cooper back, the Broncos have a healthy Bonitto, Robinson, and Dondrea Tillman, so the edge-rushing party can continue.

We'll keep you updated on what happens next with Elliss.