ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Jake Butt warned after his encouraging two-catch comeback outing that 11 plays in a preseason game wasn’t enough to proclaim he had made it back.
But he wasn’t planning on this. Soreness in his surgically repaired left knee will again keep Butt out of practice this week and beyond.
He won’t play in the Broncos final preseason game Thursday and given how the tight end has now endured three ACL surgeries. While there is almost no chance Butt would begin the season on the Broncos’ active 53-man roster, he is expected to land on an injured list in some form.
“It’s disappointing that he has this; I’m not disappointed in Jake,’’ said Broncos head coach Vic Fangio. “His knee, when he starts to feel good, he plays or practices (and then) it flares back up again. It’s just something we’re going to have to deal with here. He won’t play in this game and he may miss some time.”
Butt suffered two ACL injuries to his right knee while playing at the University of Michigan, and then blew out his left ACL while decelerating on kickoff coverage during a practice following the Bronco’s third game last year.
He recovered from his first two surgeries but he has said returning from this third ACL has been considerably more challenging.
Butt had eight catches for 85 yards in three games for the Broncos last year. He had two catches for 17 yards in a preseason game Saturday at Los Angeles and signs were fairly clear the Broncos were saving a place for the talented tight end on their 53-man roster.
“I mean 11 plays in the preseason I’m not going to say I’m back,’’ Butt told 9News after the game as he walked up the ramp at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and towards his awaiting bus to the airport. “I think it’s a step in the right direction. I feel good about what I did out there. I feel good coming out healthy. Caught a couple passes, blocked well.’’
Discomfort set in later. The Broncos are expected to open the season with Jeff Heuerman, Noah Fant and Troy Fumagalli as their tight ends. Butt can't be released because of his injury so some type of injured list would make sense.
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