Sports fans have seen athletes get caught up in all kinds of off-field drama over the years, but every now and then, a story comes around that makes everybody stop and say, “Wait…what?” Not just because somebody got arrested, but because the details sound too wild to be real.
That’s where Denver Broncos linebacker Jonathon Cooper comes in. Cooper and his girlfriend, Jade Fiegen, were both arrested after what authorities described as a domestic dispute at Cooper’s Colorado residence. According to reports, the argument allegedly started over cheating accusations and Cooper’s phone, with Fiegen allegedly throwing his phone before the situation turned physical. Cooper was booked on domestic violence and criminal mischief charges, while Fiegen was also booked on domestic violence and criminal mischief charges.
The part that sent the internet into full disbelief, though, was the phone detail. According to TMZ, Cooper allegedly admitted to damaging Fiegen’s phone by biting and cracking it after threatening to break it if she refused to leave. Fiegen also claimed the phone had irreplaceable messages and voice notes from her late mother on it.
According to the latest reports, Cooper appeared in court on Friday (June 5), was released on a personal recognizance bond, and is due back for a Monday disposition hearing. The Broncos said they were aware of the matter and gathering more information, while the NFL could still review the case under its personal conduct policy. Online, the reaction was exactly what you’d expect: people were stunned, confused, and stuck on the idea of a grown NFL linebacker allegedly biting an iPhone during a relationship argument. Social media quickly turned the “put it in his mouth” detail into meme material, even while the actual allegations remained serious.
And while Cooper’s situation is fresh, sports history has no shortage of arrests that made fans ask the same question: How did we even get here?
Check out a list of the wildest sports arrests of all-time.
