Broncos tight end Jake Butt has suffered three torn ACLs during his football career and lingering complications from his knee injuries limited him to just three games last season.
Butt has struggled to stay healthy but when he’s been on the field, he’s looked promising. If he can make it through training camp without another injury, Butt might be able to make Denver’s 53-man roster as a fourth tight end.
“There’s nobody in our locker room that doesn’t want to see Jake Butt succeed,” quarterback Drew Lock said Monday. “One of the best teammates that we have in this locker room. For him to push and grind through all the injuries he’s had . . . . Obviously, you can never get back to normal after a knee [injury], but he’s as close as you can possibly get after having those surgeries. The guy is playing some really good ball. He’s super smart and little more athletic than people give him credit for.”
Noah Fant, Nick Vannett and Albert Okwuegbunam are all expected to make the team and the Broncos only carried three tight ends last season. The Broncos might carry four tight ends in 2020 but Andrew Beck can also play fullback, which might give him an edge over Butt when roster cuts start.
Butt’s going to face long odds to make the team but he has a chance.
“I think Jake is way ahead of where he was last year at this time,” coach Vic Fangio said Monday. “To quote him, he feels the best he’s felt in a long, long time. I think he’s looked out there not just today but all the days he’s been out there. He had a great offseason.
“Hopefully we’ll see the real Jake Butt here this season.”
