ENGLEWOOD, Colorado – Jonathon Cooper had a wild wave of emotions over the weekend.

First, he signed a four-year, $60 million extension with the Denver Broncos at the team hotel in Baltimore on the eve of a 41-10 blowout at the hands of the Ravens.

The real pain came Monday when the Broncos (5-4) traded Baron Browning, his teammate for the past four years in Denver and four seasons at Ohio State, to the Arizona Cardinals.

“Baron has been my guy, my teammate, for eight years,” Cooper said Wednesday. “I felt very hurt and very sad to see him leave. But it is a good opportunity for him and I know he will make the most of it.”

Cooper and Browning were drafted by Denver in 2021. Browning was selected in the third round and Cooper in the seventh round after an EKG irregularity just before the draft led to three cardiac ablation surgeries in May. He missed most of the offseason program that year.

After serving as a two-year starter, Cooper has started all 26 of Denver’s games over the past two seasons, totaling 14 sacks, 14 quarterback hits, 14 tackles for loss and one interception.

For his career, Cooper has 18 1/2 sacks, 183 tackles, 38 quarterback hits and 20 tackles for loss. Browning, who has played 13 fewer games than Cooper due to injuries, has 9 1/2 career sacks with 114 tackles, 22 QB hits and 15 tackles for loss.

Browning missed a month this season with a left foot injury and had no sacks in five games, while Cooper has been a key component of a stingy Broncos defense that has 31 sacks, trailing only New York’s 35. York Giants.

So, it was an easy choice when general manager George Paton and coach Sean Payton were deciding who would get an extension and who would be traded.

“I’m excited for him,” Payton said of Cooper. “It’s tough, competitive. “I think he’s a very good teammate… he certainly deserved it.”

As for parting ways with Browning, Payton said, “It’s never easy to trade someone and yet I thought on our visit, George, Baron and I sat down and he totally got it. He was looking forward to more takes and certainly in the future”. The (contract) year for him is important.”

That means the Broncos’ game at Kansas City (8-0) on Sunday will mark Cooper’s first game without his former pass-rushing partner since his freshman year at Ohio State in 2016. He redshirted that season, one year before Cooper arrived in Columbus.

“We all know how talented Baron is, a fantastic football player, a fantastic guy,” Cooper said. “That’s my brother, and you know I wish him all the best. I talked to him before I went and I know he’s going to go there and play, so I’m excited to see what he does.”

Cooper probably could have made more money as a free agent after this season, but he said he was satisfied with the Broncos’ offer.

“The process was very easy and I felt like I didn’t need to take it any further than what it was because I love this program, I love this team, I love the organization,” Cooper said, “and sign him there.” At the hotel everything went as well as it could.

But he added: “I’m still (upset) about the game.”

Cooper is the second Denver defender to sign an extension this year, joining star cornerback Patrick Surtain II, who signed a new contract last summer.

“I’m very proud of Coop,” Surtain said. “When you talk about a guy who came in with the right approach, the right work ethic and everything it takes to become a great player, that’s him. For him to be a seventh-round pick and go through the list this and that, for him to be able to secure that contract is huge.”