Denver Broncos tight end Jake Butt is finally getting some much-needed good news. The Michigan product has been cleared and is “expected to be a full participant in team drills in today’s non-padded practice,” sources told Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
Butt was a highly touted prospect in college, but he's had brutal injury luck the past few years. After his freshman year in college, Butt tore an ACL. He became a star for the Wolverines, and won the John Mackey Award for being the nation's best tight end in his senior season.
Unfortunately, he tore an ACL again while playing in Michigan's bowl game following his senior year and also suffered nerve damage. Butt likely would've been an early pick in the 2017 draft, but he fell to the fifth round due to the injury, where the Broncos swooped him up.
Butt missed his entire rookie season as he recovered, then came back with a chance to win the starting job in 2018. Tragically, he ended up tearing an ACL for a third time just a couple of weeks into the season.
Butt has shown remarkable perseverance in coming back from all these injuries, and it's hard not to root for him. Unfortunately, his missed time has caused the Broncos to make other plans at the position.
Denver drafted Noah Fant in the first-round back in April, and he's viewed as the tight end of the future.
That being said, Butt won the John Mackey Award for a reason, and if he's able to stay healthy he should be able to make an impact in the NFL whether it's with the Broncos or another team.
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