Broncos TE Jake Butt Has “Minor” Procedure On Knee

Broncos TE Jake Butt will undergo a “minor” procedure on his left knee, per James Palmer. 

Butt tore the ACL in that knee last September during practice, which ended his 2018 season. It was his third torn ACL. 

Butt has successfully returned to play after each of his previous two ACL tears, but each time he thinks he’s “turned the corner” in his rehab from his third injury, his knee refuses to cooperate. 

“When he starts to feel good and plays or practices, it flares back up again,” Broncos HC Vic Fangio said via the Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala. “It’s just something we’re going to have to deal with here. He won’t play in this game (Thursday) and he may miss some time.”

Asked if Butt would be on the final roster, Fangio was the definition of noncommittal, saying “He may not, but he may also.”

Butt must remain on the 53-man roster through final cutdowns in order to be eligible to be activated later in the season if he’s placed on injured reserve. 

Butt, 24, is a former fifth-round of the Broncos back in 2017. Before he suffered an ACL injury at Michigan, Butt was considered a first-round talent and one of the best tight ends in a very deep class.

Butt signed a four-year, $2.7 million contract with the Broncos that included a $300,948 signing bonus and made base salaries of $555,000 and $645,000 over the first two years of the agreement.

In 2018, Butt appeared in three games and caught eight passes for 85 yards receiving and no touchdowns.