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According to 9NEWS Denver’s Mike Klis, oft-injured tight end Jake Butt who is recovering from a torn ACL is expected to make his preseason debut tonight against the Rams.
Just getting settled at Broncos posh hotel in downtown LA. Per source TE Jake Butt is expected to take next step in his recovery by playing in preseason game Saturday vs. LA Rams. Pretty cool milestone for talented TE as he continues his comeback from third ACL surgery. #9sports
— Mike Klis (@MikeKlis) August 24, 2019
This is a big and pivotal step in Butt’s recovery from his now third ACL injury. He missed a good chunk of the Broncos extended Training Camp because of knee soreness and has yet to play in any of the Broncos first three preseason match-ups. He will now test his knee against the defending NFC Champion Rams tonight.
What will be key for Butt is seeing how his knee first reacts to contact, something he hasn’t faced since tearing his ACL early in the 2018 season. If he can make it through the game, or through his expected amount of snaps injury free, it will be a win for Butt. However, that alone won’t clear him of any potential setbacks. How his knee reacts the next day or so to the beating and wear and tear that comes from playing in an NFL game will also be important.
Butt’s future with the Broncos and potentially in the NFL is on the line here. He already have three ACL injuries in a short period of time so his knee is already pretty banged up. An inability to keep that knee healthy enough to play in the NFL would likely end his potentially promising NFL career.
The Broncos tight end unit has dealt with injuries throughout the summer, so getting a healthy Jake Butt back would instantly improve that unit’s depth. As we know, the tight end will be utilized often in the Broncos passing game, so having another effective receiving weapon from that unit for quarterback Joe Flacco would be nice.
Hopefully Jake Butt is now over the injury bug that has plagued him these past few seasons and that he can become a contributor for the Broncos moving forward.