The Denver Broncos, thanks to a healthy dose of off-field scandal, now find themselves staring down the possibility of having 1 of their elite, highly-paid defenders out for the 2026 season after $60 million edge rusher Jonathon Cooper was arrested twice in the last 2 weeks.
Cooper’s importance to the defense can’t be understated. He has been the perfect complement to NFL All-Pro edge rusher Nik Bonitto, and there isn’t anyone on the roster right now who can come close to replicating what Cooper does.
The Broncos might need to move quickly to secure another elite edge rusher in a trade if Cooper is forced to sit out after a felony arrest for domestic violence, followed by another arrest 1 week later for stalking and harassment.
There might actually be an elite edge rusher available with Alex Highsmith, who seems like the odd man out right now after the Pittsburgh Steelers signed edge rusher Nick Herbig to a 4-year, $100 million contract extension on June 2. They already have 6-time NFL All-Pro edge rusher T.J. Watt on a 3-year, $123 million contract extension signed in July 2025.
That leaves Highsmith and the 4-year, $68 million contract extension he signed in July 2023 as a pretty tantalizing trade chip.
Broncos Should Call Steelers’ Bluff on Trade Price
Sports Illustrated’s Alex Cohn reported the Steelers are looking for a 2nd-round pick for Highsmith, which seems a bit too high. The Broncos might actually be able to seal the deal by offering up a 2027 3rd-round pick.
“The Steelers have all but made Highsmith expendable after signing Nick Herbig to a $100 million extension this offseason,” Steelers Wire’s Andrew Vasquez wrote on June 12. “While some reports suggest the team could keep their edge-rush trio intact for the 2026 season, a second-round draft pick may be too valuable to pass up.”
Alex Highsmith Could Easily Replace Cooper
There aren’t many players whom the Broncos could trust to step in and replace Cooper, who has 16.5 sacks over the last 2 seasons. Highsmith is 1 of them.
The 6-foot-4, 242-pound former 3rd round pick had 9.5 sacks, 13 TFL, and 19 QB hits in 13 games in 2025. Highsmith hasn’t had fewer than 6.0 sacks in a season since he became a full-time starter in 2021, and had a career-high 14.5 sacks in 2022.
If the Broncos think they have what it takes to replace Cooper in-house —which is a stretch — those duties would fall to 2nd-year edge rusher Que Robinson.
Robinson, a 2025 4th round pick, might be headed for a breakout sophomore campaign after he had just 6 tackles and a half-sack in 6 regular-season games but had 3 tackles, 1 TFL, and 1 sack in a loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game.
Broncos reporter Mike Klis put Robinson’s development on his list of the most important questions facing the Super Bowl contenders headed into 2026.
“One reason why the Broncos are considering moving (Jonah) Elliss back to inside is the Broncos like their depth at outside linebacker better than they do at inside linebacker,” Klis wrote on May 27. “At outside linebacker, there are starters Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper with Dondrea Tillman as solid No. 3. The Broncos drafted Que Robinson in the fourth round last year and though he only played in six games, the coaching staff saw him come on as a dynamic player, even registering a sack of Drake Maye in the AFC Championship Game.”
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