Broncos tight end Jake Butt and running back Theo Riddick are ineligible to play this season.
NFL teams are allowed to bring back two players from injured reserve per season. This year, the Denver Broncos used those two return-from-IR spots on wide receiver Tim Patrick and quarterback Drew Lock.
So that means even if tight end Jake Butt and running back Theo Riddick get healthy, they won’t be eligible to play this season. Butt (knee) and Riddick (shoulder) will remain on reserve for the final four games of the year.
Patrick returned three weeks ago and has caught five passes for 80 yards. Lock was activated from IR last week and started against the Los Angeles Chargers. Lock threw for 134 yards with two touchdown passes and one interception in Denver’s 23-20 win over Los Angeles.
Butt was selected by the Broncos in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL draft out of Michigan and has struggled to stay healthy in the NFL. He missed his rookie season while recovering from a torn ACL he suffered while in college. Last year, Butt played in three games before suffering another season-ending ACL injury. He wasn’t able to get healthy in time for the 2019 season.
Riddick spent the first six years of his career with the Detroit Lions before signing with Denver in August. He suffered a shoulder injury during preseason and was placed on IR before the start of the regular season.
Butt, 24, has one year remaining on his contract — he’s set to earn $735,000 in 2019. Riddick, 28, will become a free agent in March.
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