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By The Sports Xchange
The Denver Broncos placed tight end Jake Butt on injured reserve Saturday, two days after he tore the ACL in his left knee.
The 6-foot-6, 250-pound Butt suffered a torn ACL in his left knee during a walk-through practice on Thursday that will prematurely end his season with 13 games remaining.
To replace Butt on the 53-man roster, Brian Parker was promoted from the practice squad.
Butt is no stranger to injury, having torn the ACL in his right knee twice while at Michigan -- first in the spring of 2014 and second in his final game for Michigan in the 2016 Orange Bowl.
The second-year pro sat out all of last season with the Broncos while recuperating from the second knee injury.
The latest injury is to his left knee, which had not been previously affected, and it happened during a non-contact part of practice. After Butt was examined at the training complex, he was taken for an MRI that confirmed the diagnosis.
"Jake has worked his tail off to recover from his previous injuries, and we feel terrible for him," Broncos coach Vance Joseph said. "He's a great kid who's developed into a very good football player. We have no doubt Jake will come back stronger than ever."
Butt caught eight passes for 85 yards in three games. His average playing time was more than 30 snaps per game.
"This is probably the best I've felt in my career getting a whole year under my belt with professional strength coaches," Butt said earlier this season before the injury.
Backup tight ends Jeff Heuerman and Matt LaCosse likely will see more time on the field with Butt lost for the year. Parker appeared in nine-regular season games and two playoff games for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2015 spent time in the New York Jets' active roster in 2016.
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