NEW YORK — Two veterans who have spent the season in league limbo are headed back to the field. The NFL said Friday it is pulling Green Bay running back Josh Jacobs and Denver pass rusher Jonathon Cooper from its Commissioner Exempt List, clearing both to suit up in Week 7.
Cooper came off the list right away and lines up for Denver's game against the Arizona Cardinals. Jacobs is set to be reinstated Oct. 19, in time for Green Bay's matchup with the Detroit Lions.
The league placed both players on the list Aug. 30 after arrests earlier this year. Its personal conduct reviews of each case are still open, and the league said Cooper's change in roster status has no bearing on that review. Discipline could still follow once the legal process plays out.
For Cooper, 28 and in his sixth season, the exempt list cost him Denver's first six games. His trial date has slid from November to March. The NFL typically opens at a six-game suspension for domestic violence cases, a benchmark Cooper has effectively matched on the sideline without a formal ban.
The Broncos can keep Cooper on a roster exemption until Oct. 26, which means no player has to be cut for him yet. Denver is 4-2 after beating Seattle on Thursday night.
Green Bay has gone 3-2 without Jacobs, and its ground game ranks last in the league, so his return could give the Packers offense a lift.
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