Former Denver Broncos tight end Jake Butt hangs up his cleats
Former Denver Broncos tight end Jake Butt has decided that he will not play for the Chicago Bears—or any team for that matter—in 2021 or beyond. The former fifth-round pick of the Broncos in the 2017 NFL Draft has retired, per Field Yates.
Butt’s time with the Denver Broncos was not what anybody would have hoped, especially himself. He played in just eight games in two years with the team. During that time, he caught 10 passes for 90 yards.
Injuries, unfortunately, put a hold on Butt’s career, as he tore his ACL three times, including the 2018 season in which he managed to play in three games.
His career wasn’t off to a good start as he had to be placed on the non-football injury list to begin his Denver Broncos career with an ACL injury he suffered in college.
It’s a disappointment that Butt was unable to stay healthy during his tenure with the Broncos. It is very possible that he would have been the team’s best tight end had he been able to stay on the field. Unfortunately, the best ability a player can have on a football team is availability and Butt just wasn’t able to show that he could be reliable, to no fault of his own.
This offseason, Butt worked out for the Arizona Cardinals before signing with the Chicago Bears less than two weeks after. He would have competed with guys like Jesse James and Jimmy Graham, among others.
You really have to commend Butt for trying to stick around for so long. It would have been easy for him to just walk away after his injuries—even in college. It’s great that he was able to try to live out his dream of becoming a top tight end in the NFL but that just wasn’t meant to be in the end.
Good luck in retirement, Jake.