Broncos TE Butt ready to move on from injury woes

Jake Butt hasn't seen much of the field during three seasons with the Denver Broncos due to knee injuries. Butt, who turns 25 in July, is hoping things will be different in 2020. He has proclaimed that his left knee is 100 percent and is thankful that the Broncos have remained supportive.

"I don't know a lot of people that have been through my situation and the team would still be hanging there with them in Year Four," Butt told the Denver Post late last week. "It really speaks a lot for the organization and what they think of me and I'm very appreciative. It's not a guarantee -- they're not telling me I'm making the team by any stretch or rolling out the red carpet. I still have to go out there and work and earn it. "But the fact they're standing by me and giving me an opportunity, it obviously means the world to me and I'm going to try and go out there and prove them right and prove myself right."

Butt has played in just three NFL games -- all in 2018 -- and has eight receptions for 85 yards. Butt's knee issues started in college at Michigan when he suffered two different ACL tears in his right knee. The latter injury caused Butt to miss his rookie season with the Broncos in 2017.

He then tore his left ACL during a practice in 2018 that ended that season. The knee acted up again last preseason and it was determined Butt needed surgery to repair the meniscus and he didn't see any action all season. Butt is aware Denver drafted a tight end in the recent draft -- fourth-rounder Albert Okwuegbunam of Missouri -- and that could be construed as a signal that the organization isn't sure how much he can be counted on in 2020.

Butt is OK with that and remains more focused on being ready for the campaign, despite the challenges brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. "This offseason has been a little bit weird for everybody, having to bounce around and train anywhere you can," said Butt, "but I've still been getting good work in, feel good about things and excited about playing ball again."

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)